254 



Mussooree, since it was one of my Bhagulpore specimens given in 

 exchange for something else : and I may as well point out that the 

 collection to which I allude contained species from various parts 

 of India, I myself having contributed insects from Mirzapore, Nee- 

 much, and even from Afghanistan in exchanges, while there were also 

 a few from China ! Besides which, Mr. Buckley's object being to make 

 a collection vnthout noting or caring for locality, the greater number 

 of his specimens came, as usual, from the Dehra Doon. This (if 1 am 

 right in my conjecture about the collection alluded to by Mr. Frith) 

 may serve to show with what degree of suspicion any collection, not 

 made by a naturalist, should be regarded by scientific men both at 

 home and abroad, since, by taking it for granted that the collection 

 contained only the species proper to the locality in which it is stated 

 to have been made, the closet naturalist may be led to form the most 

 erroneous conclusion in regard to the distribution of species. Nor 

 is this remark to be confined to insects only, since it will equally 

 apply to ornithological collections ; so that any modern Adam who 

 may underteke to form a system, founded rather upon the length and 

 breadth of an animal's tail than upon the habits and manners of 

 the species in their native haunts, and who thunders forth his dogmas 

 from his artificial paradise of musty skins, may, and doubtless often 

 has, put forth a host of errors for the acceptance of other naturals 

 as little conversant with living species as himself ! 



" My own limited experience, therefore, leads me to coincide in 

 opinion with Mr. Hodgson, and I accordingly reject the Tusseh 

 Moth from the catalogue of Mussooree and mountain species, not 

 even granting it a place at Kussowlee. 



" Of true mountaineers, we have, as far as my knowledge extends, 

 three species of Saturnite ; two others are found only in the depths 

 of the warmest valleys, such as iS. atlasl and *S. katinka (Westw.) ; 

 the former occurring likewise in the Doon along with the Tusseh 

 Moth ; thus making in all six species of SaturniceJ' 



In a foot-note Capt. Hutton further remarks : — " In my enume- 

 ration of the species found here, I omitted one large Saturnia, which 

 I once found upon a quince tree in the Botanical Garden ; the larva 

 when first seen appeared to be a white cocoon on the back of a leaf, 

 but a closer view showed me the caterpillar densely covered with 

 long white hairs. I never procured a second specimen. 



" To these we may add one species of Actias, which is, I believe, 

 confined to the hills from 5000 feet upwards to 7000 feet, and per- 

 haps higher; it occurs likewise apparently in Sylhet, as Major Jen- 

 kins long ago kindly sent me a drawing of what I take to be this 

 species. And lastly we have one species of true Bombyx (B. hut- 

 toni, Westw.), which occurs abundantly on the wild mulberry from 

 the Doon upwards to at least 7000 feet ; thus showing a list of 

 known silk-spinners to the number of nine, viz. seven Saturnia, one 

 Actias, and one Bombyx : more there may doubtless be, although as 

 yet unknown to me i but I strongly suspect that some of those men- 

 tioned by Mr. Frith as coming from Mussooree and Kussowlee were 

 in reality natives of other localities. 



