128 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
quite pleased with what I saw. An entomologist of the name of 
Sluse, who was clever at drawing and painting, induced my father 
to cultivate a taste for collecting, but he confined his efforts to 
the garden, consequently his knowledge never extended much 
further than ‘“tortoiseshells,” ‘‘ peacocks,” and “ aldermen,” as 
he called them. I often assisted him in taking those species 
common in cottage gardens. Soon after I became acquainted 
with a man of the name of Weatherhead, from whom I learned 
my first lesson, and with him I went to Colney Hatch Wood, 
where we frequently collected. I also about the same time 
became acquainted with Daniel Bidder, a coleopterist, who | 
introduced me to the forest in the neighbourhood of Wanstead. 
I frequently made excursions to that place with other boys, 
having for our primary object the collection of blackberries, but 
I always had an eye to such insects as were flying at the time. 
Charlton Pits was then a fine place for Sesia ichnewmoniformis, 
and I took two dozen one afternoon; they feed on the black 
knapweed (Centaurea nigra). I also went to Birch Wood with 
young Bidder, and we worked with the net, sugar not then being 
known. We found a moth very plentiful on the wing, and as we 
did not know it we only took half a dozen each. We showed old 
Bidder our captures, and he said, ‘‘ Why did you not take more,— 
in fact all you could?” He also said, “ You will never get such 
a chance again.” In this he was right, for I did not take 
Toxocampa pastinum again for many years. During these early 
days I was shown Papilio machaon, and all my thoughts were to 
get some. I was told that the nearest place at which they were 
procurable was Whittlesea Mere, and I started one Saturday 
afternoon with a great box. When I got about ten miles from 
home in the East of London, I began to enquire if I was right 
for Whittlesea Mere, and was surprised to find that no one could 
tell me; and it was not until I overtook a waggoner that I learned 
that it was somewhere in the Isle of Ely. I rode in his waggon 
all night, and in the morning he called me and said that he must 
turn off to Cambridge, and that I must keep straight on; and it 
was afternoon when I reached Whittlesea. Great was my surprise 
to find it a village; and as I could find no “ swallow-tails” there, 
I began to enquire if any butterfly-catchers ever visited there. 
They said that there was one some time ago, but could not 
inform me where he lodged, and, what was still more discom- 
