FOOD FOR BABES. 163 



Food for Babes. The Insect Hunters' Companion, 1907. 



Rather more than 50 years ago [viz., in January, 1857), a paper 

 on " Pupa digging " by the Rev. Joseph Greene, was published in The 

 Zoologist, pp. 5382-5398. At that time of day it showed a considerable 

 knowledge of a particular branch of field entomology, for then nothing 

 was known of the subject, to-day possibly few lepidopterists who have 

 done a couple of years work could not reproduce all the facts then 

 noted and many more besides. Later, to these crude notes were 

 added sundry similar elementary notes on other branches of entomology, 

 and the whole became " The Insect Hunters' Companion," a book 

 specially fitted for children and working-men with limited education 

 starting to make a collection. That such a book was needed at the time, 

 before the passing of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, there 

 appears to be no doubt ; that it has any scientific value now one cannot 

 believe ; that it may possibly aid in the maintenance of a race of 

 collectors, whose aim is collection and not ultimate scientific results, 

 appears certain. As the author says (p. 97) "the 'mere collector' has 

 my heartiest good wishes, for I fear I am little more than this myself," 

 and when one thinks of the contributions of the author to entomological 

 Bcience as a result of collecting over a period of some 60 years, one 

 regretfully has to agree with his own personal estimate. 



Taking haphazard some items from the various parts of the book, 

 we note from that on "pupa digging " — 



Thecla rubi. — A pupa of this was once found, under moss, on a log of wood. 



Satyrus egeria. — I have several times met with the pupa .... suspended 

 from blades of grass It passes the winter in that state. 



Smerinthus ocellatus. — Scarce. Willows. October, etc. 



Petasia cassinea. — One ? (?pupa) at roots of elm. July. Gloucestershire. 



Notodonta cucullina. — Once found under moss, on a beech-tree, having doubt- 

 less wandered from some neighbouring maple. October. Halton, Bucks. 



Pygaera bucephala. — Various trees. October, etc. 



Acronycta aceris. — Five, all on oak, not sycamore. October, etc. 



Noctita c-nigrum and N.jestiva. — Occasionally, at roots of trees. July. 



Noctua plecta.—Yerj common, at roots of various trees. October, etc. 



Axylia putris. — Very common, at the roots of various trees. October, etc. 



Mamestra persicariae. — Common, under moss, on various trees. October, etc. 



Heliothis marginatum. — Once found, but I cannot say where. 



Odontopera bidentaria. — Common, under moss, everywhere. October, etc. 



Hybernia leucophaearia. — One female, at roots of, I think, a sycamore. 



Now, in 1857, the above may have constituted excellent scientific 

 knowledge on " pupa digging," but that, in 1907, it should be served 

 up as good enough for "insect hunters," or even for children who 

 have been through an elementary school, appears to us to be too sad. 



Under the heading " Collecting," we have along list of the "kinds 

 of localities" butterflies frequent. The writer, by the by, says (p. 51): 

 " It is 'long, long ago' since I collected butterflies," that is apparently 

 " long, long before " 1857 or thereabouts ; let us suppose ^5 

 repres nts "long, long," and this gives us just three-quarters-of-a- 

 century-old experience that reads as follows: 



Pens and marshy places. — Papilio machaon, Melitaea aurinia, Polyommatus 

 dispar. 



Generally distributed throughout lanes, meadows, cloveb fields, etc. — 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, Colias edusa, C. hyale, Pieris brassicae, P.rapae, P.napi, 

 P. daplidice (near coast), Euchloe' cardamines, Pararge megaera, Epinepheleianira, 

 E. tithonus, Coenonympha paraphilias, Vanessa atalanta, V. id, V. niitit>]>", I'. 



