190 DECEMBER. 



in addition the larvae of Gelechia affinis may be obtained 

 in and among moss on old walls. 



Having now got to the end of the out-door duties of 

 the year, the tyro will no doubt begin to think of his 

 carpet slippers, arm-chair and comfortable seat by the 

 fire ; and no bad place either, but only when the wea- 

 ther' is so unfavourable to out-door operations as to 

 render it useless labour to attempt them. In such a 

 case he has no excuse to lead an idle life ; he has his 

 collection to overhaul — his breeding-cages to set to 

 rights, and more to make or get made if he should be 

 so fortunate as to need them ; he has his notes of the 

 various observations he has made during the past sea- 

 son to arrange, and by them, in a great measure, to 

 direct the course of his next season's Entomological 

 campaign : all things being favourable, new species and 

 varieties of old ones must be eliminated from the bulk 

 of his captures, and his various incomplete series filled 

 up as far as possible, and the duplicates of all species 

 of which his checks are full set aside for the benefit of 

 his friends and correspondents. 



And now I would whisper a word into the ear of the 

 tyro at this juncture — a word of warning and advice. 



We will suppose he has well picked over all his 

 captures, and having satisfied the demands of his own 

 collection, he has a goodly number of specimens left, 

 all nicely pinned and set and disposed in rows in 

 his store-boxes according to their varions species. He 

 looks at them and admires them ; they are all the fruits 

 of his industry and perseverance, gained by many a 

 hard day's and night's collecting, and reared by un- 

 wearying care and attention. The question suggests 



