1920] Holland, Lepidoptera of the Congo 111 



African entomology, and have named and descril^ed many species of 

 butterflies and moths from the region over which you in part bear rule. 

 I wish to go on with my work, and I therefore wish you to issue a decree 

 that the insect tribes of the Congo shall at a given date depute two of 

 each species, a male and a female, to surrender themselves as hostages 

 of science to whomsoever you may appoint to receive them, they then 

 to be turned over to me that I may go on with the good work of finish- 

 ing the task, which Adam left incomplete, of naming the living 

 things on the globe." The king laughed, and answered, "Doctor, you 

 are as great a flatterer as the man who told King Canute to order the 

 waves of the sea to retire before him." "What?" I replied, "is it pos- 

 sible that the royal prerogative does not extend so far?" "I am afraid 

 it does not," he answered, "but I will tell j^ou what to do. Go to the 

 Congo Museum and tell the Director that it is my wish that he shall 

 turn over to you all the butterflies which he has not yet named, so that 

 your wish may be gratified." "Your Majesty," I answered, " I know the 

 Director of the Congo Museum, and unless you give me a note to the 

 effect just stated, I am sure I shall not get a single butterfly into my 

 hands." The king laughed and retorted, "Aha! I discover that he is a 

 faithful servant of mine." We both laughed, and that was the end of this 

 particular bit of our conversation. 



About two years ago I happened to visit The American Museum 

 of Natural History and, among other things, was shown the large col- 

 lection of Lepidoptera which had been brought back from the interior of 

 the Congo State by Messrs. Lang and Chapin. The gentlemen in charge 

 requested me to undertake the task of arranging and classifjdng the 

 Lepidoptera. In a moment of weakness I acceded to the request, but 

 with the proviso that they nmst not expect from me an immediate 

 report, in view of the fact that my duties were already verj^ numerous 

 and that the work would have to be done at odd moments of time. 

 The collections were sent to me, the butterflies being, I think, more in 

 number than were in the Congo Museum in 1903. The result is the 

 list herewith presented, which represents work done in the midst of 

 incessant interruptions, or at times given to me for rest and vacation, 

 or when others have been in bed and asleep. It has been a labor of love. 

 I hope that to some extent it may help students of the future. 



It is hardly necessary for me to enter into a lengthy and detailed 

 discussion of the relationship of the Ethiopian faunal region with those 

 of other parts of the globe. It suffices to say that, while the lepidopterous 

 fauna of those parts of Africa which border immediately upon the 



