( xxii ) 



opinion touching the meaning of published figures, not a few 

 of which are very indifferently executed, must always exist ; 

 the species themselves also are, for the most part, so closely 

 related that (as with the genus Colias) it is useless to dogmatise 

 as to the limits of their variation : until they are bred, every 

 Lepidopterist must please himself, and try to live in charity 

 with his neighbour who thinks differently. 



One thing, however, ought to be borne in mind : — When I 

 wrote my ' Catalogue of Satyridse ' I had only had charge of 

 the Museum butterflies for about three years, my first 

 paper upon them being published in the ' Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society ' for 1865 : my experience, therefore, at 

 that time was probably not greater than that of some of my 

 critics. 



Even if it were a fact that by incorporating the Zeller 

 collection " many of the specimens " had been " mixed up " 

 with specimens of " species " to which they do not belong, — 

 and this I presume is what Mr. Elwes intended to say, — the 

 injury to the collection would not be permanent, and after all 

 it would not be different from that which has been inflicted 

 upon every collection of exotic Lepidoptera by the very men 

 who claim to know the species of Europe. It would indeed 

 be a light task for any student of exotic species to show that, 

 in Staudinger's brilliantly illustrated work on Exotic Butter- 

 flies, not only species, but genera, have been confounded. 

 But, as I have already pointed out, the " mixing up " is a 

 matter of opinion, and I believe I have a right — nay more, 

 that it is my duty — to arrange the Museum collection as 

 nearly as possible correctly, according to my views, not 

 swerving from what I consider to be the straight path on 

 account of adverse criticism. 



Mr. Elwes, Mr. Stainton, Mr. Godman, and others took 

 in the discussion which ensued. 



June 5, 1889. 



The Et. Hon. Lord Walsingham, M.A,, F.R.S., President, 

 in the chair, 



