Wiltshire Entomology. 95 
A few words to Wiltshire Eutomalagists, 
It is very desirable that lists of specimens which have been taken 
in the county should be supplied by those who have given their 
attention to Entomology; they are invited to do so. 
There are no doubt many Entomological collections in Wiltshire, 
which are of little or no practical use, beyond the interest and 
pleasure which they confer on the individual collectors. These 
collections may now become more generally useful, by their cata- 
logues being brought together and compared. 
But a caution must be given here, for perhaps no class of collectors 
are so careless as Entomologists, in the manner of keeping their 
cabinets and Catalogues. They do not mark their specimens 
with sufficient care; and it frequently happens that after a year or 
so, and even after a few months, they are unable to remember the 
exact localities where they were taken. It is not an uncommon 
occurrence in works upon the subject, as well as in cabinets both 
private and public, to meet with specimens whose localities are 
unknown, merely from a want of system when classifying them. 
In such instances the value of such specimens, especially if they 
are rare species, is greatly diminished. What is required are chiefly 
lists of specimens which are known to belong to the county. 
And now one word on the subject of obtaining a complete cat- 
alogue of Wiltshire specimens. It may be asked of what possible 
use can it be? Its chief utility will consist in its supplying the 
very kind of information that the Naturalist requires. He wants 
facts to aid him in elucidating the distribution of insect life. The 
following very excellent remarks, by John Gray, Esq., upon this 
subject, appeared in “the Naturalist,” (Vol. ii. p. 261-2.) “The first 
and indeed the great use of investigating local fauna, consists in 
