286 



employed under Hubner's name Cisnonympha. I have nowhere met 

 with the name Coenomorpha^ which is, I presume, a lapsus calami. 



6. My genus Oreina must not yield to Hubner's prior name — Me- 

 lampias, because it likewise includes his genus Epigea. The same 

 remark applies to it as to Lasiommata. 



7. I have given my reason for altering the name Gonepteryx to Go- 

 niapteryx at p. 13. 



I trust you will excuse my troubling you with these details, but as 

 I have devoted considerable attention to the generic distribution and 

 nomenclature of these insects, I am naturally anxious that such of your 

 subscribers as may not have an opportunity of examining the work it- 

 self, may not be led to form incoiTect ideas of my views on the subject. 



And now, having despatched these weighty but tedious technicali- 

 ties, perhaps you will allow me to gossip a little concerning my early 

 entomological days. Your pleasant reminiscences have recalled long 

 past enjoyments, and I doubt not you will be not a little surprized to 

 learn that I too undertook, in the year 1822, a Natural History of 

 British Butterflies. The manuscript of this projected work, long for- 

 gotten, and at last found after a lengthy search, now lies before me, 

 and I see, as every page is dated, that throughout the month of March 

 in that year I daily " tooled my pen " at the voluntary task, and that 

 my labours ceased on the very day which your next sheet will bear 

 date, namely, the 1st of April. These coincidences, interesting at 

 least to myself, lead me to think that an account of the origin of this 

 performance may not be read without interest by those who have seen 

 * British Butterflies and their Transformations.' 



I will not dwell on the delight with which, during one of the winters 

 of my school-boy days, I discovered that the son of one of my father's 

 workmen had formed a collection of insects. It was the very thing I 

 wanted to afibrd objects for a pocket microscope which had been then 

 recently given me. Insects on the wing there were none ; so I con- 

 tented myself with buying one of his peacock butterflies and examin- 

 ing its various parts under my glass. Neither will I linger on the 

 many searches made amongst the strawberry-plants for the beautiful 

 garden tiger moth, which I wanted to draw for my set of multiplica- 

 tion-cards. One of the drawings of this insect I still preserve, and it 

 represents the creature with the antennae of a butterfly. I suppose 

 this originated in the feathered antennae of the moth being laid along 

 the sides of its breast, and so hidden from view, and my ignorance of 

 their real form. Other occurrences of a similar nature to these are 

 now recalled to my mind, all showing how strong at that time was my 



