Entomology and komance. 105 



It is useless to complain that entomological romances arc dry to 

 readers, because the latter cannot see the joke. One cannot expect 

 authors to be always writing, a la Punch, " This is a joke !" 



Very few entomologists look upon Newman as a romancer. Yet 

 probably one-third of his book, Britifih BntUrjiics, is pure romance, 

 i.e., it is fiction — untrue. Take his description of the process of 

 exuviation when the larva becomes a pupa (pp. 12-18) ; there is 

 scarcely a word of truth in it. Read his note on hybernation 

 (pp. 16-17), where he states that Poli/omiiiatiis astrarche and P. icariis 

 hybernate as eggs ; Aiyynnis adippe as an egg ; (Joliaa edum and 

 C. hi/alc as imagines — all fiction — every word of it. Read his 

 descriptions of the larvae, with the living caterpillars before you. 

 Then you begin to see his humour and to understand the romance. 



But of all the romancers Avho have unwittingly played ofi' their 

 humour and imaginative faculties on innocent entomologists, commend 

 me to Mr. Dale. Some years ago he wrote as a supplement to The 

 Younij Naturalist, a set of papers called " British Butterflies." The 

 fiction here is so clear that even the ignorant can find it. Compare 

 (p. xxxi. and p. 166) the two different descriptions ( ! ! ) of the egg of 

 Ku//(inia iiolyehldros, copied from Newman and Buckler respec- 

 tively. But it is in quotation that Mr. Dale excels. Take this, 

 relating to Ewanessa antiopa, for example : — 



STEPHENS, Illus. Hmist., i., p. 45. 



" No insect is more remarkable for the 

 irregularity of its appearance than this. 

 Till about the middle of the last cen- 

 tury, few specimens had been observed ; 

 but, about 60 years since, it appeared in 

 such prodigious numbers throughout the 

 kingdom, that the entomologists of that 

 day gave it the appellation of the Grand 

 Surprise. Of late, it has again become 

 unfrequent ; the last times, accordi/in to 

 Doiiocdn, that it occurred in plenty being 

 17By and 1803, a few only having been 

 captured subsequently. At the present 

 day, it still appears to occur occasionally 

 throughout England, as Mr. Backhouse 

 informs me that it has been found 

 repeatedly near Seaton, Burliam — and 

 often floating on the river Tees." 



DALE, British BiitterJiieA, p. 100. 



" Stephens, in his Illustrations, 1828, 

 writes : ' No insect is more remarkable 

 for the irregularity of its appearance than 

 this. Till about the middle of the last 

 century, few specimens had been observed ; 

 but, about 60 years since, it appeared in 

 such prodigious numbers throughout the 

 kingdom, that the entomologists of that 

 day gave it the appellation of the ' Grand 

 Surprise.' Of late, it has again become 

 unfrequent ; the last times that it ap- 

 peared in plenty being 1789 and 1793, a 

 few only having been captured subse- 

 quently. At the present day, it still 

 appears to occur occasionally throughout 

 England, as Mr. Backhouse informs me 

 that, about the i/ear 1820, he sair vast 

 nniidiers streicinri the sca-shore at Seaton 

 Carew, Durham, both in a dead and livinfj 

 state, and alsojioatinri on the river Tees.' " 



Who can compare Mr. Dale's intended verbatim (?) quotation with 

 the original, and say that romance does not exist among those who write 

 Science (with a capital 8) for the entomological public ? What a 

 Avealth of imagination about the "vast numbers" oi Kuranessa antiopa 

 " strewing the sea shore at Seaton Carew, both in a dead and living 

 state!" How pathetically the bald statement of Stephens appealed 

 to Mr. Dale, a comparison of the italicised portions will show. 

 Whilst the scientific (!) magazines print the communications of these 

 romancers, Mr. Frost need not fear the decadence of entomological 

 fiction. 



Truly, I cannot believe Mr. Frost to be much of an entomologist. 

 Had he a deeper knowledge, he would never have penned a large part 

 of his paper. For myself, the humours indulged in by certain writers 



