■ V 



MAY 





BULLETIN 



OF THE 



BROOKLYN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Vol. XII April, 1917 No. 2 



EXPERIENCES OF A COLLECTOR. 



By Annie Trumbull Slosson. 



Some time ago I wrote, for a religious weekly, an article 

 entitled Human Nature Study. In it I told of various experi- 

 ences of my own in botanical and entomological collecting. I 

 received many letters after its publication asking if it was truth 

 or fiction and expressing surprise that any one in our enlightened 

 age could show such ignorance as I spoke of encountering. But 

 I am confident that the audience I address now will believe all 

 that I may say on this subject. They have "been there": 



I am, as most of you know, an old woman, though still an 

 enthusiastic and strenuous collector. So as I tramp over hill and 

 plain in rough, appropriate costume, butterfly net in hand, poison 

 bottles hanging at my leather belt, with big bag, holding knife, 

 forceps and other essentials, I suppose I am an odd looking char- 

 acter to the average passerby. So I make allowances and am 

 rarely stirred to anger even by rude or discourteous questions or 

 remarks. For many years I was more interested in botany than 

 in any other branch of natural history and met with many amus- 

 ing experiences in that kind of collecting. But this is not the 

 place for them, and I will confine myself to the bug adventures. 



Every one of you insect collectors has been asked again and 

 again as to what one might call the lucrativeness of your pursuit. 

 " How much are you paid for your work ? " " What firm do you 

 work for?" "What will you pay me to help-you?" These are 

 questions familiar to every collector. That one can walk miles 

 over rough roads, climb rugged heights, stand for hours in mud 

 or water, blister one's hands stripping bark from trees or turn- 



