14.S 



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[Mirc'i lS<i|. 



Loiigchanp;. and I have jfiven a first report 

 on the rl\vnchota, an older of which some 

 Japanese nicnibcrs have previously received 

 tlie efficient attention of vour own countrv- 

 inan, Mr. 1'. R. Uhler. We have no state aid 

 to entomology in this country, and our suc- 

 cess in the study of the science has always 

 been largely indeljted to the voluntary efforts 

 of those votaries who possess the love of en- 

 tomology combined with the necessary leisure 

 and competence to undertake or promote 

 such expeditions. 



Ilerr Georg Semper, of Altona, who has 

 recently paid us a visit, has informed me of 

 his intention to publish a work on the rhopa- 

 locera of the Philippine Islands, for which he 

 possesses good material in the collection 

 made by his brother Prof. Carl Semper dur- 

 ing his memorable journey to those islands. 

 Another work of this nature is in the press. 

 yiz. , a new edition, with much new matter, 

 of Mr. Trimen's '-Rliopalocera Afric.ie aus- 

 tralis." 



We are still having a very mild winter, re- 

 sembling in this respect its immediate pre- 

 decessors. It is probable, therefore, that the 

 ensuing summer may also follow its recent pre- 

 cursors in exhibiting a considerable dearth in 

 insect life, as the complaints of lepidopterists 

 and other collectors in our entomological 

 magazines during the last few years abundant- 

 ly testify. The mild, damp winters are well 

 known to be destructive to pupating insect 

 life, but these do not explain the more diffi- 

 cult and interesting problem as to the sudden 

 and plentiful appearance in one season of a 

 generally scarce and almost unobserved spe 

 cies. This is not confined to temperate cli- 

 mates, as I have lately received a very forcible 

 illustration of the same phenomenon in 

 the tropics, /fao-arf/a crisiti lliibn.. a well 

 known and handsome member of the satyri- 

 t/ae, is not a scarce insect in the Indo-.Mala- 

 yan region, though it has hitherto been un- 

 recorded from the Malay peninsula. I did 



not meet with it. when residing and collect- 

 ing there myself, some fifteen years ago. nor 

 have 1 received it since, in numerous collec- 

 tions derived from that locality. Last year, 

 however, the species seems to have been com- 

 mon from Penang to Singapore. I first re- 

 ceived two specihiens captured on Penang 

 Hill, and sent me as a new species: others 

 shortly followed from Province Wellesley, 

 with the remark of an experienced collector 

 that the species was quite new to the locality : 

 and almost simultaneously the Indian mail 

 brought me more examples from Sungie. 

 Ujong, Malacca and Singapore. 



Kor some years past, owing to the demands 

 of foreign institutions, entomological litera- 

 ture has reached a pecuniary value that has 

 rendered its acquisition by many students a 

 matter of some inconvenience and difficulty. 

 .\t recent sales, held in London, of the books 

 of deceased naturalists, these high prices liavr 

 failed to obtain, and we may hope that price> 

 may soon be less prohibitory to those work- 

 ing entomologists to whom a library of refer- 

 ence is a real necessity. 



Mr. Edward Whymper, who paid a visit 

 to Ecuador in iSyy-iSSo, where he made a 

 considerable collection in natural history, 

 especially in regard to entomology, is now- 

 writing the account of his journey, which 

 will shortly be published. A feature of this 

 work will be a scientific appendix giving the 

 details and identifications of his collection, 

 contributed by a body of specialists who have 

 imdertaken this work. The eiitomological 

 collection is not very large, but its interest 

 and biological importance is due to the fact 

 that many of the specimens were collected in 

 very high altitudes, and thus contrast with 

 those found in the hot, tropical valleys. 



In my previous letter (v. 4, p. 94) the name 

 ■■Dr. Leitner" should be spelled ■■Dr. Leuth- 

 ner. " 



II'. /,. Disl.uil. 



