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BUTTERFLY COLLECTING and the FRUHSTORFER COLLECTION 



By GEORGES TALBOT, F. E. S. 



Since the time when Man began to amass collections of objects in Nature and Art, 

 Butterflies have alwaj's found a place, and to-day there is probably as many collectors of these 

 insects, as there are of stamps 



The passion for Beauty has inspired the butterfly-collector to take up this hobby it 

 begins mostly in early years; with many it becomes a study; with some this study adds largely 

 to scientific knowledge. 



The importance of large collections of Butterflies and Moths is now recognised, not alone 

 for the elucidation of purely scientific facts of Natural History, but as an aid to the investiga- 

 tion of larger problems and of the economic questions which face the agriculturist whose crops 

 are destroyed 



The Collection of Butterflies brought together by the late H. FruHSTORFER has already 

 provided that scientist with much material for study, resulting in a prolific output of writing. 



The published writings of Fruhstorfer, though dealing mostly with systematics, will be 

 valuable to the worker of the futur, especially in regard to the distribution and variation of the 

 insects dealt with. 



in the graet work edited by Seitz, "The Butterflies and Moths of the World", the 

 studies of Fruhstorfer, based on his wonderjul collection, are largely evident, and thus a rich 

 legacy of information is made available to entomologists the World over. 



This published work of Fruhstorfer was only possible by assiduously and intelligently 

 collecting material. 



To this end he made many journeys, principally in the tropics of the East, visiting 

 India, China and most of the Malayan Islands. 



The journeys made by the Butterfly Hunter are not picnics, particularly, when the 

 region visited is little known to travellers. 



All the discomforts of disease, hunger, thirst and dangers from wild animals, noxious 

 insects and savages, enter more or less into the daily existence of the searcher after rare 

 butterflies. 



Many of the best known species are obtained only after considerable expense and diffi- 

 culty With all this, the enthusiastic entomologist finds always his recompense when the long 

 expected captures are made. 



The uninitiated are apt to overlook the enormous amount of work and perseverance 

 necessary to bring together a really fine collection of Butterflies by individual effort. 



We have seen that the getting of the species is no easy matter. They have next to 

 be set up for the cabinet, and most important of all, to be properly labelled with the locality, 

 date and other information according the capture. 



Where large series of specimens are obtained it is necessary to weed out a good many. 

 The value of a Collection may often depend upon how this weeding out is done, for impor- 

 tant though insignificent individual variations may be overlooked. 



The variation to which butterflies are subject, is so remarkable that many species are 

 only adequately represented by a large series of specimens. 



it is gratifying to observe that this important factor of variation has been closely 

 attended to by Fruhstorfer in building up his collection. 



