ON COLLECTIONS OF LEPIDOPTERA. 93 



size, but rarely. This fact suggests that the species varies in 

 size, as it does in tint. 



Three varieties of the male imago are known to me. These 

 I shall cixll—Jlavescens, the lightest ; nigricans, the darkest ; 

 and nnicolor, having the fore wing uniform in tint, as in the 

 female. The shade of the female is also very various. One 

 variety is a light chestnut, reminding one of a Highland castanea 

 (neglecta) var. Icevis. 



The moth usually emerges about noon, and the wings are 

 hardly dry by the evening. It is better to keep them twenty-four 

 hours. The males should be killed quickly, to preserve the 

 antennae in good form. I use bruised laurels and chloroform for 

 this purpose. They may be left in this for twenty-four hours. 

 Marlow, Bucks, March 7, 1887. 



ON COLLECTIONS OF LEPIDOPTERA. 

 By F. H. Pehry Coste. 



Some time ago the Editor of the ' Entomologist,' in reviewing 

 Mr. C. Roberts's ' Naturalist's Diary,' indicated that the province 

 of the collector may be exhausted in a few years ; that of the 

 observer, never. Mr. Roberts, in the book in question, remarks, 

 in substance, that the methods of naturalists have of late years 

 undergone a change, and collections are less regarded than they 

 were by the older naturalists. 



These remarks may serve to introduce a subject which has 

 somewhat attracted my attention lately, causing me, for my own 

 satisfaction and information, to seek the advice of several well- 

 known entomologists and collectors. These gentlemen, to all of 

 whom I was utterly unknown, answered my enquiries in the 

 kindest manner, and I intend presently to quote one or two 

 passages from their letters, in order to illustrate my subject the 

 better. Lest I be misunderstood, and thought to write dogma- 

 tically, let me say at once that I have written this article in the 

 hope of raising in these pages a discussion, and of eliciting the 

 opinions of various readers of the ' Entomologist.' I cannot 

 doubt that such ventilation of the question would be as interesting 

 and serviceable to others as to myself. 



