172 [Jivnuaiy, 



TROPICAL COLLECTING. 

 BT GEO. C. CHAMPION. 



I propose to give some account of the experiences o£ an entomo- 

 logist who has spent upwards of four years collecting in Central 

 America (two years in Guatemala, and two in Colombia). In this 

 first paper I will speak chiefly of the apparatus, &c., I found most 

 useful after a long residence in these countries. I took out with me 

 a lot of heavy and fancy butterfly-nets, heavy sweeping and water nets, 

 drying cages, &c., more than half of which I soon found were almost 

 useless to me in countries where everything has to be carried either on 

 the backs of Indians, or upon horses, or mules, where there are few, 

 if any, cart roads, or navigable rivers, and where every additional 

 ounce weight of baggage is a consideration ; and the less you have to 

 carry, and the lighter it is, the easier you will be able to get about 

 from place to place. I usually travelled on horse- or mule-back, wath 

 -1 native servant, and carried my collecting apparatus in the saddle 

 bags, or on front of the saddles, in addition to a change of clothing, 

 waterproof coat, blanket, &c. ; sometimes, if on foot, owing to the bad 

 condition of the road, or if 1 intended making a stay of a month or so 

 at a place, I would take (in Guatemala) one or two mozos, or Indian 

 carriers, or another horse for my baggage with me ; but, as a rule, I 

 managed to carry sufiicient for trips of a few weeks on my two saddle- 

 horses or mules. My usual plan was to stay a" few days here and there, 

 at various places on the road, till I came to what appeared a likely 

 place, then I would remain longer, and, if necessary, send to my 

 nearest head-quarters for more boxes, &c. ; in this way I travelled 

 over a large part of Guatemala, and of the northern part of the 

 Colombian State of Panama. In my saddle bags I could generally 

 manage to pack away my nets, bottles, boxes, tins, &c.,and a stoi-e box 

 or two, made up into a parcel my servant carried in front of his saddle, 

 enough, altogether, to last me a month or six weeks. If the entomo- 

 logist wants to obtain all Orders of insects, as well as many other 

 things, as I did, he will find, when out collecting, one net quite as 

 much as he can conveniently carry, more especially if he carries a gun 

 also ; sometimes I tried to carry, in addition to a butterfly-net, a large 

 umbrella sweeping-net for beetles, &c., useful enough, no doubt, to a 

 Coleopterist in this country, but in a tropical forest I would rather be 

 without it ; very soon I put away the latter as useless, finding that I 

 could manage much better with a large, balloon-shaped, jointed-cane, 

 butterfly-net : a net of this kind will answer very well for all Orders 



