118 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society Vol. VIll 



for preservation. One odd accident happened to the butterflies 

 of the Phladelphia man referred to above. For the ordinary- 

 cork bottoms this collector had substituted a mixture of bees- 

 wax and similar substances. Imagine the result when the un- 

 witting master introduced the box into the heat chamber. 

 Nothing was recoverable from the molten mass. 



A Naturalist in British Guiana 



By J. M. Geddes, Williamsport, Pa. 



About two years ago when Mr. Geddes was a visitor at the Brooklyn 

 Entomological Society, he entertained us most charmingly with a talk on 

 various experiences in the Windward Islands and British Guiana, of 

 catching the Dynastes hercules at home in the Windwards, camp life up 

 country in British Guiana, the alleged blood sucking bats, etc. The 

 following paper was written to our friend, Dr. R. E. Kunze,.the veteran 

 collector at Prescott, Arizona. Any narrative of the travels of Mr. 

 Geddes reads like a story from wonderland. Hence it is reproduced 

 here without change, a careless impromptu letter to a friend. 



The average collector of butterflies who buys from the various dealers 

 lots of showy, tropical flies, knows too little of the hazards incurred by 

 the collectors of them. If he knew more he would place a greater value 

 upon them. 



Mr. Geddes writes to us direct: — "I have been working over and spread- 

 ing some of my Guiana specimens in the last few months, and I have 

 some fine things. I confined myself more particularly to the moths, and 

 only picked up the few butterflies which happened in my way. I have 

 thousands of specimens of the smaller moths of such genera as Adelo- 

 cephela, Anisota, Dirphia, etc., also some fine things in Citheronia, Eacles, 

 and allied genera. One of the items of particular interest was that in 

 looking over about 40 boxes of specimens containing ten or twelve thous- 

 and individuals, there were very few duplicates, the bunch containing 

 three or four thousand different species or varieties, and a very large 

 percentage of single specimens of one kind. Out of five or six hundred 

 specimens of Syntomidae and closely allied species, I have about one 

 hundred and ten different sorts. I constantly threw away big bunches of 

 what I knew to be commoner species, in order to make room for better 

 material. From time to time as the season advanced into April and Miay 

 it was very easy to collect a bunch every evening which I couldn't take 

 care of the next day. It almost broke my heart to throw away perfect 

 specimens of Sphingidae and other fine things, but I could only carry 

 a limited amount of baggage and it was costly transportation. I saved a 

 weird and wonderful collection of freaks in the insect world, which 

 happened to drift in, but I mostly confined myself to the moths, and 

 believe me! I sure got some. I have no idea when I will ever get this 

 material worked up, or how I will ever get it identified, but it will occupy 

 me for some time yet." — Editor, 



