166 



other, tliey may do much good service in the working out of the 

 Natural History of the Lepidoptera, and eventually of other orders ; 

 for the economy of a vast number of species being still unknown, 

 there is in this department alone a wide field to be explored. 



British Entomologists, 



Much has been said against English entomologists confining their 

 attention exclusively to the insects of Britain, but the field of Entomo- 

 logy is so vast that it is impossible for any one to obtain more than a 

 very general idea of all the orders of insects in a country, and few of us 

 have either the leisure or opportunity for doing even this. Speaking 

 on this subject lately to a celebrated European entomologist, he said 

 that the only true way for any individual to work with effect was for 

 him to restrict his attention either to one order or one geographical 

 region at one time, and then, in either case, the results would be 

 valuable and satisfactory. Hitherto, in this country, attention has 

 been given chiefly to Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, but I am happy to 

 say that the other orders are gradually coming into favour, and 

 eventually I hope we shall have what has never yet been obtained — 

 a complete insect Fauna of Great Britain. 



One more remark and I have done. Collecting has with some 

 persons become such a mania that to form a collection, at whatever 

 cost, appears to be the sole object of their lives. The possessor of a 

 unique specimen prides himself upon having it ; the captor of rarities 

 hoards them up, or barters them away with reference to their money 

 value ; and others take advantage of the ignorance of young collectors 

 to obtain from them any rare species they may happen to possess. 

 My attention has been so often called to cases of want of honourable 

 feeling and consideration, such as I have alluded to, that I feel bound 

 to give expression to the disgust of all right-minded entomologists at 

 such conduct. A collection of insects, besides being a repository of 

 the most beautiful objects of Divine skill, should also serve to increase 

 and preserve our knowledge of them ; but a collection formed 

 on any other principle only becomes a monument of the cupidity and 

 selfishness of its owner. 



Another matter which has pained me, and which, I think, deserves 

 the severest reprobation, is the personal altercation and recrimination 

 of entomologists, not only in this country but abroad. *' Genus iiTi- 

 tabile " is an appellation which bids fair, if this sx^iritbe not repressed, 

 to attach with truth to entomologists as a body ; and to my certain 



