10 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



was in error when he wrote, Deutsche Ent. Zeit., xxi., p. 104, 

 " elytris autem rufobimaculatis." Each elytron has one red mark. 

 I write this on the authority of Monsieur Antoine Grouvelle, who 

 has seen the specimen from which Dr. Kraatz drew his description, 

 in the collection of the late Count Mniszeck. 

 Wimbledon, September 19, 1887. 



PROPOSAL FOR A NEW ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 By CoRYNDON Matthews, F.E.S. 



Some little time ago, on taking up a number of the ' Ento- 

 mologist,' my attention was arrested by the motto which appears 

 on the cover, and which no doubt I had seen each month since 

 I first became a subscriber to the magazine, though it had never 

 before attracted my notice. The motto states a general fact, of 

 which there can be, of course, no doubt, though I think it is one 

 particularly applicable to students of any branch of Natural His- 

 tory. On thinking over the principle of " mutual aid," an idea 

 occurred to me which I should now like to put before the readers 

 of the magazine ; for it seems to me that although entomologists 

 are, as a rule, a good-natured set of individuals, and generally 

 ready to render each other assistance, yet an immense deal more 

 might be done, by a little organisation, to carry out the mutual 

 aid principle than has yet been attempted in this country. 



In the first place, I should like to point out a few of the diffi- 

 culties which frequently meet working entomologists, particularly 

 beginners, those who are living in the country, and also those 

 who are working at the more rarel}'^ studied orders of insects ; 

 and in the next j)lace, to make a few suggestions towards a 

 scheme which I think would tend materially to diminish them. 



First then for the difficulties. Nearly every entomologist at 

 some time or another during the year makes an excursion from 

 his home, if only for a few days, with a view of prosecuting 

 his favourite pursuit ; but as soon as he has settled into the 

 quarters decided on, presuming him to be a stranger to the 

 locality, his troubles begin. He will, of course, desire to know 

 which localities in the neighbourhood should be worked, and 

 which would not repay him for the trouble ; what literature 



