THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 103 



that Dasycampa rubiginea has done so also. But I may as 

 well observe here, to prevent disappointment or the trouble 

 of correspondence, that any duplicate eggs I may have of the 

 above are all promised. It is strange that Taeniocampa 

 instabilis, which is supposed to be "generally common and 

 distributed," did not appear. Perhaps I shall see it later on 

 in the season. 



Gervase F. Mathew. 

 Instow, North Devon, 

 Apxil 3, 1875. 



Collecting as it was, and as it now is. By H. R. Cox, Esq. 



Collecting is at present carried on very differently from 

 how it was fifteen or twenty years ago. It is now much harder 

 work than it was then, owing to the great number there are in 

 the field. So far so good ; but (which is much to be lamented) 

 the good old free spirit of collecting is rarely to be found. 

 Years ago, when a few entomologists started on a day's 

 ruralizing, what unbiassed delight was experienced and 

 evinced by us all ! We started at early morn, intent on one 

 object, — a day's thorougli and innocent enjoyment. If one 

 of our number captured a rarity we all were pleased ; how we 

 congratulated him, and loved to admire his specimen ! If the 

 rest of us were unfortunate there was no grumbling, no unplea- 

 sant exhibition of the "green-eyed monster;" there were no 

 insinuations of Mr, Dealer So-and-so having that season 

 imported a few gross of continental pupae, and of having 

 placed them in the woods for development, with a view to 

 "making" them "British." 



The object was, then, principally a day's innocent pleasure, 

 and not so much with a view to amassing a large number of 

 specimens in the shortest possible time. We want some of 

 that collecting spirit now, for the pleasure of entomological 

 rambles is comparatively little sought after; it is, " Who has 

 the largest collection ? " And much to the disgrace to many 

 of our time, if collectors cannot get their coveted specimens 

 by honest exertions, they will cheat in exchanging (or 

 " bartering," as one of our best Lepidopterists facetiously 

 termed it); or else procure foreign specimens, and insert 

 them as British. Shame on these collectors ; their originally 



