SKETCH OF THE LITERATURE 



OF 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



One of the greatest difficulties in the more advanced study 

 of Entomology arises from the mass of literature, scattered 

 through thousands of books and periodicals, in at least 

 eighteen different languages. The expense and difficulty 

 of forming a really useful entomological Library is very con- 

 siderable ; and there are very few public libraries, outside those 

 in the largest cities or in the most important university towns, 

 which are well furnished in this respect. With care and judg- 

 ment, however, a student who restricts himself to the study of 

 a limited group, or a limited fauna, may obtain sufficient 

 materials to form the nucleus of a good working library at a 

 moderate outlay, if he will watch the catalogues of English and 

 foreign booksellers, and buy exactly what he needs most, when 

 he meets with it at a reasonable price. His greatest difficulty 

 will be with the periodicals, but many important papers published 

 in periodicals are to be obtained, separately, and it will always 

 be worth while for a really :c-'ious student to copy (or have 

 copied) notes from rare books that he cannot otherwise ol)tain, 

 including sketches or copies of figures, when necessary. Again, 

 when an Entomologist visits a library, he should not waste his 

 time in looking'pver books at random, but should ask immediately 

 for what will be most useful to him, unless, indeed, his time is 

 practically unlimited. I have, therefore, thought it would be 



