StJMMARY OF LEPIDOPTERA, 1874 — 1876. 3 



when our annual holiday comes round we remember where a 

 local species is just out — "Useful for exchange, you know;" 

 so away we go, to devote our whole attention to its capture. 

 No, we never go to an unvvorked locality, "for fear we 

 shouldn't get any:" therefore we dont get additions to 

 our fauna. Someone asks, "Is the fauna exhausted?" 

 How can I believe it is, when there are hundreds of 

 square miles of fine collecting-ground in all three kingdoms 

 where the foot of an entomologist never trod. So far from 

 our having completed the British list of Lepidoptera, there 

 is no reason why additions should not be made to every 

 division, though it be your first love. Where is the 

 new Erebia, so long since prophecied from the North 

 of Ireland } 



The fashion now seems to be not so much the study of the 

 creatures we take, as that of amassing big collections, to be 

 broken up when we are "called over to the majority." 

 These collections have done us no good : they are broken 

 up, sold, again distributed and used for the same purpose by 

 others, who are glad of the chance of "doubling their series." 

 This may be Entomology ; but it looks more like acquisitive- 

 ness. Moths are, when viewed in this light, perhaps a little 

 better than the "old pots," now the rage ; for out of the body 

 of collectors an entomologist may possibly be developed. 

 I cannot see much diffei'ence between "collecting," as now 

 followed by so many, insects, china, or postage-stamps; the 

 latter may be best, as one unconsciously learns geography in 

 the process. Do not let us have again to say, "There is no 

 new Macro" in January, 1878; let us rather try to get out of 

 this groove of mere collecting, and more usefully conserve 

 our energies for studying the animals over which we spend 

 so much time. 



Although no novelties have been discovered during the 

 past three years, many rare species have turned up. This 

 may not be quite so satisfactory, but is, perhaps, the next 

 best thing ; especially where we also know why they were 

 hitherto considered rare. Amongst these are Zygcena 

 exidans, Nola albulalis, Eupilhecia togata, Meliaua 

 Jiammea^ Nonagria brevllinea, Noclua sobrina, Pachiiobia 

 Ityperborea, Xylina furcijera^ &c. Most of us now at least 

 possess types of these, while three years ago they were 



