﻿( 
  xlv 
  ) 
  

  

  described, 
  of 
  wliicli 
  probably 
  100,000 
  are 
  represented 
  by 
  

   unnamed 
  specimens 
  in 
  our 
  collections; 
  the 
  rest 
  await 
  

   discovery. 
  The 
  acquisition 
  of 
  fresh 
  materials 
  from 
  collections 
  

   therefore 
  is 
  not 
  likely 
  to 
  slacken 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  to 
  come 
  ; 
  

   indeed, 
  when 
  the 
  taste 
  for 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  more 
  showy 
  forms 
  

   changes 
  for 
  one 
  that 
  will 
  comprehend 
  the 
  less 
  bright 
  and 
  

   smaller 
  but 
  not 
  less 
  interesting 
  ones, 
  it 
  is 
  certain 
  that 
  new 
  

   species 
  will 
  pour 
  in 
  upon 
  us 
  at 
  a 
  higher 
  rate 
  than 
  ever. 
  

   In 
  spite 
  of 
  this 
  increase 
  of 
  work 
  the 
  harvest 
  that 
  reaches 
  us 
  

   now, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  my 
  own 
  experience 
  goes, 
  is 
  greater 
  than 
  our 
  

   workers 
  can 
  deal 
  with, 
  and 
  had 
  we 
  a 
  few 
  more 
  such 
  ardent 
  

   collectors 
  as, 
  say, 
  Mr. 
  Champion 
  or 
  Mr. 
  Herbert 
  H. 
  Smith 
  

   at 
  work 
  in 
  the 
  tropics, 
  the 
  stock 
  of 
  our 
  visible 
  unworked 
  

   materials 
  would 
  largely 
  increase 
  in 
  quantity. 
  Any 
  one 
  who 
  

   has 
  attempted 
  to 
  bring 
  together 
  anything 
  like 
  a 
  complete 
  

   collection 
  of 
  the 
  fauna 
  of 
  a 
  country, 
  however 
  small, 
  has 
  

   experienced 
  the 
  difficulties 
  that 
  have 
  met 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  attempt 
  

   to 
  gather 
  together 
  all 
  available 
  information 
  on 
  the 
  fauna 
  of 
  

   Mexico 
  and 
  Central 
  America, 
  and 
  of 
  certain 
  small 
  islands 
  of 
  

   the 
  West 
  Indian 
  Archipelago. 
  In 
  the 
  former 
  case, 
  owing 
  

   to 
  the 
  cordial 
  assistance 
  afforded 
  by 
  many 
  very 
  competent 
  

   workers, 
  considerable 
  progress 
  has 
  been 
  made, 
  but 
  still 
  more 
  

   help 
  is 
  wanted 
  to 
  work 
  out 
  several 
  very 
  interesting 
  orders, 
  the 
  

   collections 
  of 
  which 
  look 
  inviting 
  enough, 
  and 
  doubtless 
  teem 
  

   with 
  novelties. 
  Eegarding 
  the 
  West 
  Indian 
  work, 
  in 
  which 
  

   Dr. 
  Sharp 
  has 
  taken 
  a 
  very 
  active 
  interest, 
  I 
  fear 
  the 
  Mexican 
  

   and 
  Central 
  American 
  task 
  has 
  stood 
  somewhat 
  in 
  the 
  way, 
  

   and 
  we 
  have 
  had 
  to 
  search 
  the 
  continents 
  of 
  Europe 
  and 
  North 
  

   America 
  to 
  find 
  volunteers 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  collections 
  formed 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  H. 
  H. 
  Smith 
  in 
  the 
  small 
  island 
  of 
  St. 
  Vincent, 
  and 
  

   similar 
  collections 
  from 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Grenada 
  are 
  still 
  

   untouched. 
  From 
  this 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  workers 
  

   enough 
  even 
  now 
  to 
  keep 
  pace 
  with 
  the 
  requirements 
  of 
  

   naming 
  and 
  arranging 
  the 
  specimens 
  that 
  come 
  before 
  us, 
  

   and 
  unless 
  our 
  numbers 
  largely 
  increase 
  the 
  arrears 
  of 
  work 
  

   will 
  become 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  unmanageable. 
  Is, 
  then, 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  workers 
  increasing 
  ? 
  1 
  mean 
  the 
  workers 
  at 
  the 
  

   great 
  mass 
  of 
  exotic 
  species 
  chiefly 
  crowded 
  in 
  the 
  tropical 
  

   and 
  semitropical 
  countries. 
  

  

  