342 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Only men of leisure and means can hope in this wise to succeed. 

 The professional naturalists, who gain their whole knowledge in 

 museums, are either partially occupied in studying variation, 

 or fail because they have only the dried specimens to deal with, 

 and are without much knowledge of the surroundings in which the 

 animals lived. 



The answer to all this is in properly regulated co-operation 

 of the workers. In this number of the ' Entomologist,' Mr. T. D. 

 A. Cockerell concludes his very excellent series of papers on 

 " Variation of Insects." In his last paragraph he invites opinion 

 upon the establishment of a committee in London, for the 

 collection and editing of all possible material upon the subject 

 of variation of insects. This is a good suggestion, so far as it 

 goes, but it is imperfect. His mode of election would not, it is 

 to be feared, come out well, and be too irresponsible. Properly 

 carried forward, the work of the proposed committee would be 

 very heavy and most onerous. Experience of such committees 

 is, that they get along pretty well for a time and then get lax, or 

 collapse altogether, from the fact that what is everyone's business 

 is that of no individual. 



The right course seems to be to establish a properly con- 

 stituted association of those who work actively, and others who 

 take a passive interest in the subject. The former, as in all 

 societies, will naturally be elected to the management of the 

 affairs. This association should not confine itself to the study 

 of variation of any particular group of animals, because the 

 causes which operate upon one, probably do more or less upon 

 another. The council might, however, nominate from the whole 

 body of members, including themselves, sectional committees 

 to deal with the various orders, with one general committee 

 to revise the whole. Honorary work is good, where it is 

 impossible to afford other. It is very unlikely, however, that 

 assistance of that character can be obtained for the actual 

 drudgery of searching throughout the voluminous literature of 

 all countries, in the past, as well as that current. Such will have 

 to be paid for, which, with publication and other expenses, would 

 require a considerable income. Now, can such a society be 

 established ? Are there a sufficient number of students of 

 variation to support such an association ? 



The whole scheme is well worthy of consideration, and 

 should be threshed out. Any of our readers who would care to 

 send their opinions for publication, or their names, to the editor 

 of the 'Entomologist,' with the object of preliminary consideration, 

 will be communicated with, and, if possible, a meeting arranged 

 for discussing what can be done. The entomologists might found 

 the society, and afterwards invite students in other orders to 

 join. It might be called the " Society for Investigation of 



