— 21 I 



It may not have come from North America at all ! 

 IMany insects have been described as coming from North America, 

 but when taken out and examined, the original label on tlie pin show's 

 that they came from South America or some otiier part of the world. 

 The older European entomologists had a very vague iilea of this country, 

 and even the modern European entomologists will sometimes make 

 honest statements about this country enough to make one gasp as though 

 he were in a vacuum. 



Some authors have described their insects as coming from "Georgia 

 in Florida" and Martyn in his P.svche in 1797 described a large number 

 of well known IMacros from "New Georgia." 



The British IMuseum now contains three very important collections 

 of Pvralids, viz : those of Walker, Zeller and Grote. All this material 

 offers a golden o[)portunity to some of the IMuseum employees to make 

 a complete revision of all the described species, both generic and specific, 

 for they are at present in almost hopeless condition. If some one would 

 take up the work and do it e.xhaustively, taking Lord Walsingham's 

 paper on the North American Anaphorimv or Meyrick's [ aper on the 

 Australian Pyralids as models, a grand work would be accomplished, 

 one that would cast that of Lederer's entirely into the shade. 



The study of all these types shows what utter confusion our Pyralids 

 are in, and I wisli to forewarn our entomologists, that a large percentage 

 of our names now in use will have to go into synonomy. Nearly all the 

 names that I have myself given to our Pyralids will appear only among 

 the tail-feathers, but I shall not feel lonely as I have most excellent com- 

 pany. What we have known ^sEurycreon rantalis will have to struggle 

 along under thirteen different names, and ivw//,?//^ (iuenee will take pre- 

 cedence over all the others. This vaiiable species mu.i have delighttd 

 Walker's heart, for he gave it no le-s than seven different specific names. 

 Ten years ago I made mv.^elf familiar with the North American Tor- 

 tricida? in ihe foreign museums and have now chjiie the s.ime on die Pv- 

 ralids and Crambids while Lord Walsiiigham has made us acquaintad 

 with the Tineids and Feather-wings, and IMons. Ragonot is slowly at 

 work on the Phycids. It now remains for some one logo over the same 

 ground and discover all existing types of the Noctuids and Geometers 

 and get the bottom facts on these families. We shall all bid God speed 

 to Messrs. Smith and Hulst when the}- go on the mi.ssion. 



In economic entomology I gained not a single idea. Europeans will 

 have to come to this country to learn the most valuable things in this im- 

 portant branch. While in Berlin I went to the Zoological Gardens and 

 ob..erved that a common Bombycid modi {Ocnena dispar) Linn, was 

 exceedingly abundant, fiying about among the shade trees on the 



