160 JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY 
seore of slips until you have discovered their favorite. It is 
not a difficult thing, usually, to find something suitable. If you 
know the foodplants of other members of the family your 
species will probably accept leaves of these plants. The scien- 
tist wishes to know the natural foodplant of each species, but 
the butterfly farmer is content if he finds ‘‘something just as 
good.’’? The natural foodplant exists in the region where the 
insect is found. You have a great advantage, therefore, over 
the distant scientist who attempts to rear the larve in a dif- 
ferent zone, perhaps, and without the slightest clue as to its 
natural preference, yet the scientist often succeeds. Even 
beginners, like myself, are glad to receive shipments of eggs ac- 
companied by the mother insects. 
I do not minimize the distracting difficulties of propagating 
‘certain species of Lepidoptera, but I boldly assert that there 
is no difficulty at all with the majority, the vast majority of 
species. Where the beginner makes one failure he will make 
many successes. Always remember that the rarest species are 
generally as easily propagated as the commonest, that all will 
lay their eggs if they have an opportunity, and that butterfly 
farming does not interfere at all with your collecting, for you 
are utilizing the by-product, the damaged females of your 
catches. With ever so little outlay of time and trouble you will 
multiply your output a hundredfold. 
During the past year I have corresponded with over a thou- 
sand people who are eagerly interested in butterfly farming, 
and I have taught its elementary principles to hundreds of 
enthusiastic pupils without asking any compensation except 
gratuitous offerings of specimens from each locality. At any 
time I should be glad to correspond with those interested in 
this work. 
