NEW WORKS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 137 



is no pursuit for an idler ; indeed he cannot long have pursued this 

 branch of Natural History without noticing that if, as the late Dr. 

 Arnold remarked, an early separation is observed at school between 

 the idlers and the workers of the community, that he has already 

 taken his election among the latter class. 



" Want of useful employment for their time is the great bane of 

 the mass of mankind — for Satan finds some mischief still for idle 

 hands to do — any one who can early initiate the young to some 

 attractive amusement, which shall at the same time afford them 

 useful employment, becomes ;t benefactor to his race. Now, of all 

 branches of study, Entomology is perhaps the most attractive to 



the young." 



********* 



******** 



" But even the fortunate possessor of several works on Entomo- 

 logy will still find himself at a loss to name many of his specimens ; 

 yet there are several Entomologists, who, like myself, would gladly 

 afford any beginner such information as he might feel disposed to 

 seek — but how is the tyro to get acquainted with any of these use- 

 ful 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 in- 

 quiry 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 with 

 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 pre- 

 mier 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 Entomologist's 

 Annual, I write to ask if you can tell me at Avhat time of the year 

 I should seek for the larvae of the Emperor moth (Saturnia Car- 

 pinl), and which would be the most likely localities in which to 

 find them. 



" Believe me, dear Sir, 



" Yours very truly." 



