[ 6 1 



of specimens presented to the Hope Collection in li 

 printed below : — 



pi^^Jf^, I ; HTDSOX STBAIT. • CHICAGO. ILL, 



J.R DIRBAN. NATAL. 





^3^ j -JTWS^^ ^g^ 



139: bj 



In the much rarer cases in which notes of experiments or of 

 natural history observations accompany the specimens, these are 

 incorporated in an epigrammatic form in the label. Examples 

 are ariven below: — 



Hilnn. SCO 1«. 





As regards date of capture the importance of the day of the 

 month is at once seen in relation to the recent work upon 

 seasonal forms and as giving a solid fact in the natural history 

 of the species. Many excellent collectors neglect the date 

 altogether. This is a serious error; for the study of the 

 gradual changes in the distribution of forms will demand these 

 very data from the specimens now being added to our 

 Museums. To take a concrete case. Hypolijnnas misippus 

 has of late years invaded America, and the dates of its 

 arrival and gradual spread are of very great interest. There 

 is a Godman-Salvin specimen in the British Museum captured 

 by Belt in the Montes Aureos, Maranhao, Brazil; but without 

 a date. In this case, no doubt, the date can be fixed approxi- 

 mately by indirect means, although I have not as yet been 

 able to ascertain it; but in many other cases it cannot be 

 recovered. ^Miat a splendid history of the gradual spread of 

 Anosia plexippus from its home in North America could be 

 deciphered from our great collections if only the collectors had 

 troubled to put dates on their captures. When labels are 

 printed it is almost as easy to print two or three as one only. 

 It is of great advantage to pin a second label beside the 

 specimen where it can be read with the greatest ease, while 



