CnUlKNT NOTES. 25 



(pURRENT NOTES. 



The Daihj Xcivr of December 30th, 1901, published a long article 

 and a short leaderette on the unusual and unexpected procedure of the 

 authorities at the Natural History INIuseum in not appointing a suc- 

 cessor to Dr. Butler as deputy- keeper of the Insect Department at this 

 institution. The article is headed, in true newspaper fashion, " The 

 story of a snub — Butterflies and a Baronet — Mr. C. 0. ^Yaterhouse 

 r. Sir G. Hampson." The facts appear to be somewhat as follows : 

 Dr. Butler retires on a pension of about £880 a year, two-thirds of his 

 final salary — £600. Mr. C. 0. Waterhouse, the senior assistant, is at 

 his maximum as assistant of £500 per year, and has two years' service 

 to complete before reaching the retiring age. Mr, W. F. Kirby, next 

 to ]\fr. C. 0. Waterhouse, is also a first-clasa assistant of longstanding. 

 Mr. C. Gahan, one of the best of entomologists, was till a few months 

 ago the senior of the second-class assistants, with Messrs. Arrow, 

 Austen. Heron, and Sir G. Hampson, as his juniors. A few months ago 

 Sir G. Hampson was promoted to be a first-class assistant, Mr. Gahan's 

 claims being apparently overlooked. A good deal was privately said at 

 the time as to the possible object of this promotion, and it Avas gene- 

 rally assumed that, on Dr. Butler's retirement. Mr. Waterhouse would 

 succeed for a couple of years, and that Sir George Hampson was 

 intended to succeed him. It would appear, however, from the state- 

 ments in the Daily News, that the Government, on account of the war, 

 are not prepared to appoint a deputy-keeper to succeed Dr. Butler at 

 £520 (the minimum salary for this post) per annum, although it would be 

 only ariseof £20for theseniorassistant, Mr. C. Waterhouse. On the other 

 hand, without payment, /.c, at no increase of hisexistent salary, £800, Sir 

 G. Hampson is stated to have accepted the responsibilities and duties of 

 the post, and Mr. Waterhouse is thus effectively shelved. That Mr. Gahan 

 has in the opinion of entomologists been rather ill-used goes with- 

 out saying, that Mr. Waterhouse is now also considered by them to 

 be baclly treated is obvious, and all feel particularly that his position, 

 especially pecuniarily, ought not to sufi'er by his being passed over, so 

 that when he retires it should be on the same terms as if he had been 

 at the head of the Department. As to which man — Hampson or 

 Waterhouse — would ultimately prove the better head of the depart- 

 ment, nothing can decide but the result, and much would depend on 

 the view taken as to the use to which the collections are to be put, 

 viz., whether the assistant-keepers are to be custodians of the collec- 

 tions in the best sense, for the use of all specialists, or to do entirely 

 technical work based on comparatively small sections, the rest of the 

 collections being left largely in a state of chaos, without additions, &c. 

 As to w'hich would do the more work as head one cannot say. One 

 doubts very much whether Sir G. Hampson would or could do more or 

 better work than he is doing now ; on the other hand Mr, Waterhouse 

 would have little time in two years to do anything very new before the 

 time arrived for him to retire. Giving weight to this fact renders it the 

 more unjust not to fully compensate him before his chance passes. No 

 doubt Sir G. Hampson is indebted in some degree for his position to the 

 confidence that the wealthy lepidopterists who are active members of 

 the Council of control feel that the collections which they have made, 

 and which they have already added, or ultimately intend to add, to 

 the national collections, would be in sympathetic hands, and this view, 

 although it must be granted to be a class one, must be accepted as 



