YOUNG ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



13 



like myself, would gladly afford any beginner such infor- 

 mation as he might feel disposed to seek — but how is the 

 tyro to get acquainted with any of these useful members of 

 the community? Of course I cannot answer so clearly for 

 others as I can for myself, but I know this, that if any young 

 collector (not under fourteen years of age) were to write to 

 me for information, I should be more pleased at receiving 

 his inquiry than he would be at obtaining my answer, and 

 let him not imagine that I am a sedate elderly person with 

 no fellow feeling for a mischievous school boy ; I have no 

 sedateness about me, and am as full of fun as any one, and 

 as the late Dr. Arnold used, when at Laleham, to " romp 

 and play in the garden, or plunge with a boy's delight into 

 the Thames, entering into his pupils' amusements w T ith 

 scarcely less glee than themselves," so I am quite ready 

 to participate in the delight of the youngest Entomologist, 

 on adding some species to his collection, or some new fact 

 to his knowledge; but further to facilitate the first step, and 

 we all know that " ce n'est que le premier pas qui coute," 

 I here give samples of letters, such as may be useful as 

 models by those seeking for information : — 



" Dear Sir, 



" Encouraged by your invitation in the Entomolo- 

 gist's Annual, I write to ask if you can tell 1 me at what time 

 of the year I should seek for the larvae of the Emperor 

 Moth (Saturnia Carpini), and which would be the most 

 likely localities in which to find them. 



" Believe me, dear Sir, 



" Yours very truly, 



"Dear Sir, 



" I lately found a hairy caterpillar of a bright yel- 

 low, with long red tufts of hair and a black chain-like mark 



