67 



which could easily be extended to fill up the pages of our entire report. 

 Let no one be dissuaded from studying the butterflies and moths through 

 the once wide-spread belief that it is necessary to kill the insects or to 

 impale them while still alive on the longest and rustiest pin that can be 

 found and to let them slowly die on the parlour curtains. If we wish 

 to make a collection of butterflies, and most of those taking up this study 

 will probably do so, it is of course necessary that a few should be killed, 

 but this can be done instantly by poison, without giving any pain or suf- 

 fering; in fact, it must be so done if we wish to have perfect specimens 

 for future study. A butterfly caught in the field and enclosed in a tightly 

 fitting box — don't punch holes in it — will remain perfectly quiet while 

 being brought home, where it can be liberated and watched. It may be 

 fed on a little sugar and water or syrup on a piece of sponge or cotton wool, 

 the creature unrolling its tongue which was coiled up like a watch spring 

 beneath its head, and inserting the tip in the sweets sucks up the liquid 

 with very evident pleasure. After examining it carefully the window can 

 be opened and away flies the butterfly. Even our friends the botanists 

 cannot claim to be more humane. 



Now to explain how to get our names and our knowledge, often two 

 very dififerent matters. Of course, the first source one naturally looks 

 to is printed books, the result of others' work, and it is a good deal easier 

 to write this paper now than it would have been say twenty years ago, 

 for a great many books have been published lately and the cheapening 

 of the illustrations through photographic half-tone and three colour pro- 

 cesses have made the prices come within reach of those of ordinary means. 



The first of these I would unhesitatingly recommend to anyone is 

 Holland's "Butterfly Book", published by Doubleday and McClure, N.Y., 

 1898 — Canadian Edition by Wm. Briggs, Toronto, at $3.00; and obtain- 

 able at any bookstore. The book contains 48 full page plates showing 

 in natural colours and full size nearly every butterfly one is apt to come 

 across. A companion volume by the same author, entitled "The Moth 

 Book" illustrates the moths in the same manner; it was published in 1906 

 and costs $4.00. It contains 48 plates and 263 text figures. The fact 

 that there are about 10 times as many moths known as there are butter- 

 flies prevents quite such a large percentage of these being illustrated, but 

 most of the forms commonly met in the eastern part of this continent 

 are shown life size in all their beautiful colours. 



With these books on our table, we await the coming of spring with 

 its flowers and butterflies. On fine days, at the end of March or beginning 

 of April, before all the snow has disappeared, a rather large butterfly with 



