A CATALOGUE OF THE LEPIDOPTERA OF IRELAND. 71 



ledj»e, or on mere heresay. Those which I have still retained, 

 with some hesitation, are, however, sufficiently indicated by the 

 absence of any distinct locality. This difficulty would not have 

 arisen if my acquaintance with Mr. Birchall had commenced 

 before a period when his failing health precluded the possibility 

 of taxing his memory with such details, and it was distressing to 

 see his anxiety to communicate the intelligence with which his 

 mind was stored, and to assist more fully in the revision which 

 he was desirous to accomplish, but which, except in some 

 instances, was beyond his strength to undertake. He frequently 

 expressed a wish to modify his overstatements of the abundance of 

 many of the species, which has led to frequent comments by later 

 collectors. It is true that formerly the seasons were much more 

 favourable to entomological success, and the summers warmer, 

 so that insects which Mr. Birchall then took in numbers may 

 have diminished in late years, or have not been captured owing to 

 adverse climatic conditions. Even if this be so, a considerable 

 discount must be made in a revised Catalogue if a just represent- 

 ation of the present relative numerical proportions of species is to 

 be put forward, and a fair comparison drawn between the lepi- 

 dopterous fauna of Ireland and that of other countries. Such 

 statements have been therefore modified and corrected, so far as 

 information personal or other is available, in the present list. To 

 those who may object that the excision of species has been 

 carried too far, I desire, without going into particulars, shortly 

 to explain that I am in a position to justify myself in the great 

 majority of instances by MS. evidence, which fortunately came 

 into my hands ; as well as in many other cases by personally 

 assuring myself of the incorrect identification of specimens. In 

 another class of records I have the concurrence of Mr. Barrett in 

 deleting species, whether of probable or improbable occurrence, 

 which have not, since the publication of Mr. Birchall's Catalogue 

 in 1866, been taken in Ireland; as I prefer to secure, as far as 

 possible under the circumstances, an accurate scientific basis 

 upon which future observers may build. Mr. Birchall adopted a 

 more liberal view, as stated in his preface, being " unwilling to 

 reject any reputed indigenous species which could be retained 

 with the least show of reason." This attitude he justified by 

 pointing out that " though the observations of the late Dr. Ball 

 and Mr. Tardy are in many cases still unconfirmed, it proves in 

 my judgment not the absence of the insect, but the want of 

 observers." In this I fully concur, and some of Dr. Ball's records 

 have since been justified, though the want of localities rendered 

 them, to all intents and purposes, unavailable as evidence ; but 

 in the case of Mr. Tardy's captures no information could be 

 gained, his cabinet of British Lepidoptera not having been 

 labelled, and no written memoranda extant, a deplorable loss of 



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