— 105 — 



visions of the Insecta has gone by, and while some few cullectnr> iiave started 

 with the idea of making accumulations in all orders they have gradua!l\ 

 drifted into a specialty and the rest of the collection remains at a sianJsull. 



But what has become of the general collections of t)ur great Ento- 

 mologists of the past! Every one knows the fate of the Sa\- Cdlleciion— 

 lost, utterly lost, by the ignorance and stupidity oi those whose duly it 

 was to secure its preservation. 



The Harris collection, classic and valualle from the work put uj'i.n 

 it by its owner, though not very extensive, narrowly escaped the same 

 fate. It is now in the Museum of the Boston Society of Natural History 

 under the care of Mr. Henshaw ; it seems but a wreck of its firmer self yet 

 valuable as a guide to Dr. Harris' meaning in some instances. 



The Walsh collection died a more heroic death It perished in the 

 Chicago fire, and thus probably escaped being devoured by A?tthreni.* 



The Fitch collection was practically ruined even wiiile in the hands 

 of its owner, and afterward, its treatment in the hands of the agent who 

 had it for sale, was not calculated to improve its value. It is now scat- 

 tered in every direction, and utterly lost. 



Prof Riley's collection rests in the National Museum. The Prc)fessor 

 was wise enough to so dispose of it by gift to the MuM.-um in his life- 

 time as to preserve its value both to posterity and himself. 



The Hatch Bill, already referred to, will probabl}- have the effect of 

 starting at each of the E.xperiment Stations, a general collection, mostly 

 local, and valuable or valueless, according to the capacity or intelligence 

 of its entomological officer. If he makes it the record of work done, by 

 preserving not only insects, but immature states, samples of injury, and 

 all the steps of his investigations, as well as his general collections, the 

 result will be a valuable one. It will e.xcite interest, convey information, 

 and aid the lyro — that important factor, the cultivation of which is so 

 important to secure new workers in our Science. 



Of gen'-ral collections, perhaps the onlv one in whieh approximateh' 

 equal attention is paid to all orders, is that of Mr. Bolter, in Chicago. 

 Mr. Bolter is probably the oldest of our collectors, his labors extending 

 over a period of forty years. During this time Mr. Bolter has visited 

 nearly all parts of the United States on collecting trips and has acumu- 

 lated a large mass of material of great value. This has been determined 

 in all orders by Specialists, and is therefore valuable accordingly Mr. 

 Bolter has done no original entomological work. 



Quite of a different character is the collection of Mr. Henry Edwartls. 

 practically general in extent, since it contains material in all orders: except 

 in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, however in a more or less chaotic con- 



* Prof. Forbes informs me that some l)oxes did ■go to Anl/irrni, not having been 

 sent to Chicago in time to be burned. 



