

DECEMBER. 193 



Now, with respect to the exchange of duplicates, I 

 cannot do better- than quote Mr. Stainton's opinion of 

 the use of the list of Entomologists published in the 

 Entomologist's Annual, 1856, in facilitating exchanges : 

 he says, " But independently of this use of the list of 

 Entomologists, it may also be extensively useful by 

 enabling those who are far advanced beyond being mere 

 beginners, to obtain some of those local species of which 

 their collections are at present deficient. The Entomo- 

 logist who lives in Sussex will never meet with Erebia 

 Blandina, though he collect for fifty years. The En- 

 tomologist located in Argyllshire may be equally cer- 

 tain he will never there meet with Limenitis Sibilla. 

 Now if the one collector meet with more Sibilla than 

 he can use, he may as well give them away ; and if the 

 Argyllshire Entomologist meet with more JSlandina 

 than he wants, he will, in like manner, be no poorer 

 from parting with what is a superfluity with him yet 

 each will be a gainer by the exchange. 



" By the word exchange I do not mean that each 

 obtains an exact equivalent for the hypothetical money 

 value of the specimen parted with. A duplicate is 

 something we do not want, its value to us is ; if we 

 attempt to bargain with a correspondent what he shall 

 give us in return for our duplicate, we become hucksters 

 and petty tradesmen. Many a young Entomologist, 

 to my certain knowledge, thinks that by exchanging 

 insects is meant parting with his duplicates for others 

 of equal value ; and, therefore, that in opening a cor- 

 respondence by saying, ' I have got so and so, what 

 will you give in exchange for it/ he is merely acting 

 according to the customary practice of most of our 



