﻿( 
  xlvi 
  ) 
  

  

  Judging 
  from 
  the 
  iiumber 
  of 
  titles 
  of 
  papers 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  

   yearly 
  volumes 
  of 
  the 
  'Zoological 
  Eecord,' 
  it 
  would 
  certainly 
  

   appear 
  that 
  more 
  entomological 
  work 
  is 
  being 
  done 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  

   have 
  some 
  doubts 
  whether 
  the 
  particular 
  subjects 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  

   now 
  refer, 
  viz., 
  the 
  naming 
  and 
  classification 
  of 
  unnamed 
  

   species, 
  are 
  receiving 
  the 
  increased 
  attention 
  requisite 
  to 
  

   render 
  an 
  approximate 
  knowledge 
  of 
  Insecta 
  generally 
  possible 
  

   within 
  a 
  reasonable 
  time. 
  Bat 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  my 
  object 
  now 
  to 
  

   review 
  past 
  work, 
  but 
  rather 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  

   altered 
  and 
  altering 
  conditions 
  of 
  our 
  collections 
  upon 
  working 
  

   entomologists, 
  and 
  to 
  see 
  whether 
  those 
  conditions 
  can 
  be 
  so 
  

   modified 
  as 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  workers, 
  and 
  to 
  render 
  

   their 
  labours 
  as 
  accessible 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  all. 
  

  

  Working 
  entomologists, 
  apart 
  from 
  field 
  workers, 
  may 
  be 
  

   divided, 
  for 
  my 
  present 
  purpose, 
  into 
  two 
  classes, 
  viz., 
  those 
  

   who 
  are 
  connected 
  with 
  our 
  museums 
  and 
  make 
  the 
  subject 
  

   their 
  profession, 
  and 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  employed, 
  but 
  who 
  

   pursue 
  Entomology 
  at 
  such 
  times 
  as 
  they 
  can 
  spare 
  fi'om 
  

   their 
  regular 
  business 
  of 
  life. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  latter, 
  being 
  the 
  more 
  

   numerous 
  body, 
  who 
  have 
  contributed 
  much 
  more 
  extensively 
  

   to 
  our 
  present 
  stock 
  of 
  entomological 
  knowledge. 
  Their 
  

   work 
  has 
  been 
  chiefly 
  based 
  upon 
  their 
  private 
  collections, 
  

   formed 
  partly 
  from 
  old 
  sources, 
  and 
  partly 
  from 
  new 
  materials 
  

   often 
  collected 
  by 
  themselves, 
  or 
  brought 
  by 
  field 
  naturalists 
  

   from 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  These 
  collections 
  hardly 
  ever 
  

   have 
  any 
  permanent 
  resting 
  place 
  in 
  private 
  hands 
  ; 
  very 
  

   seldom 
  indeed 
  does 
  a 
  son 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  his 
  father 
  ; 
  

   they 
  either 
  change 
  hands, 
  are 
  dispersed, 
  or 
  become 
  — 
  theii' 
  

   happiest 
  fate 
  — 
  absorbed 
  in 
  a 
  public 
  museum. 
  This 
  system, 
  

   which 
  has 
  gradually 
  grown 
  up, 
  is, 
  I 
  think, 
  hkely 
  to 
  change, 
  

   as 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  collections 
  is, 
  under 
  modern 
  requirements, 
  

   largely 
  on 
  the 
  increase. 
  This 
  growth 
  of 
  collections 
  renders 
  

   the 
  subject 
  studied 
  far 
  more 
  complicated, 
  and 
  the 
  difficulty 
  

   is 
  likely 
  to 
  increase 
  tenfold. 
  The 
  effect 
  is 
  already 
  plainly 
  

   visible, 
  for 
  private 
  collections 
  are 
  becoming 
  rapidly 
  absorbed 
  

   by 
  museums, 
  or 
  by 
  a 
  much 
  smaller 
  number 
  of 
  private 
  

   collectors, 
  with 
  whom 
  they 
  can 
  only 
  temporarily 
  remain. 
  

   This 
  absorption 
  of 
  private 
  collections 
  by 
  public 
  museums 
  is 
  

   likely 
  to 
  continue 
  as 
  regards 
  Entomology, 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  in 
  other 
  

  

  