70 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Wallace, in his * Island Life,' puts the matter most pertinently 

 and concisely when he points out how " such unimportant facts 

 as the presence of certain types of plants and animals in one 

 island rather than in another, are now shown to be dependent on 

 the long series of past geological changes, — on those marvellous 

 astronomical revolutions which cause a periodic variation of 

 terrestrial climates, and on the endlessly varied actions and 



reactions of organized beings on each other We are thus 



encouraged to study more completely every detail, and every 

 anomaly in the distribution of living things ; in firm conviction 

 that by so doing we shall obtain a further and clearer insight into 

 the course of nature." Unfortunately, the want of Irish investi- 

 gators precludes the possibility of adequately dealing with the 

 subject at the present date ; and the difficulty of accumulating 

 sufficient reliable information to warrant it, has deterred me for 

 several years past from attempting to publish my scanty contri- 

 bution to entomological science. 



However, even if after the lapse of so many years since the 

 publication of Mr. Birchall's Catalogue the additions may seem 

 but scanty, yet the issue of a revised list is fully justified by the 

 necessity of eliminating a number of erroneous records which I 

 find had been incorporated into it, a service which lapse of time 

 would eventually have rendered impossible. It is a difficult 

 thing to prove a negative. These errors mainly arose from the 

 incautious publication of unverified statements collected from 

 various sources, without personal examination of the original 

 specimens referred to, an omission which, in every case possible, 

 I have done my utmost to supplement. I am, therefore, assured 

 that my late friend Mr. Birchall, who some ten years ago con- 

 fided to me the task of revising his Irish Catalogue, would heartily 

 concur in weeding out all doubtful entries, leaving to future 

 workers the task of building up a fuller and reliable record, 

 though Ireland is not likely soon to produce a rival to the 

 " Father of Irish Entomology," as he may well be called, in 

 strenuous research. None but such an indefatigable worker as 

 he could have accomplished so much in so short a time. The 

 present list, therefore, will contain no item which does not rest 

 on mv own personal guarantee, or upon that of Mr. Birchall 

 himself (so far as can be ascertained, as below indicated), or upon 

 the identification of the specimens by Mr. C. G. Barrett, the Rev. 

 J. G. Greene, or other competent entomologist of repute. The 

 original list of Micro-Lepidoptera drawn up by Mr. Barrett, and 

 incorporated with Mr. Birchall's Catalogue, has been kindly 

 revised and augmented by him, with such additions as have been 

 latterly added by further researches. I have found much difficulty 

 in certain instances among the Macro-Lepidoptera in deciding 

 whether certain species appearing in Mr. Birchall's Catalogue 

 without particular locality affixed were inserted on his own know- 



