﻿r 
  xiviii 
  ) 
  

  

  a 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  specimens, 
  such 
  as 
  types, 
  &c,, 
  

   which, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  their 
  special 
  value, 
  should 
  never 
  leave 
  

   the 
  Museum 
  under 
  any 
  circumstances 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  too 
  valuable 
  

   to 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  any 
  risk 
  of 
  loss. 
  Besides 
  these, 
  there 
  is 
  by 
  

   far 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  collection 
  which 
  falls 
  into 
  

   a 
  different 
  category. 
  I 
  refer 
  to 
  specimens 
  which 
  are 
  either 
  

   unnamed 
  (a 
  very 
  large 
  number), 
  or, 
  if 
  named, 
  are 
  not 
  types, 
  

   and 
  which 
  in 
  their 
  existing 
  state 
  do 
  not 
  possess 
  any 
  special 
  

   scientific 
  value, 
  not 
  having 
  had 
  any 
  work 
  bestowed 
  upon 
  

   them. 
  All 
  such 
  specimens 
  could, 
  at 
  a 
  very 
  sHght 
  risk, 
  be 
  

   entrusted 
  to 
  competent 
  specialists 
  not 
  officially 
  connected 
  

   with 
  the 
  Museum 
  to 
  be 
  named 
  and 
  prepared 
  either 
  for 
  in- 
  

   corporation 
  into 
  the 
  Museum 
  series 
  or 
  assigned 
  to 
  the 
  named 
  

   duplicates 
  for 
  future 
  distribution 
  to 
  other 
  institutions. 
  No 
  

   doubt 
  additional 
  work 
  would 
  be 
  necessary 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   Museum 
  officials 
  in 
  preparing 
  such 
  series 
  for 
  examination 
  ; 
  

   but 
  this 
  labour 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  than 
  counterbalanced 
  by 
  the 
  

   work 
  performed 
  upon 
  the 
  specimens 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  returned 
  

   named 
  into 
  the 
  Museum, 
  and 
  ready 
  for 
  incorporation 
  into 
  the 
  

   general 
  collection. 
  

  

  The 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  Entomology 
  is 
  so 
  vast 
  that 
  

   nothing 
  but 
  a 
  systematic 
  and 
  continuous 
  effort 
  to 
  amass 
  

   collections, 
  work 
  them 
  out, 
  and 
  preserve 
  them, 
  can 
  place 
  us 
  

   in 
  a 
  position 
  to 
  proceed 
  safely 
  with 
  the 
  larger 
  questions 
  

   which 
  follow 
  the 
  initial 
  step 
  of 
  naming 
  species 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  will 
  

   only 
  be 
  by 
  the 
  steady 
  effort 
  of 
  our 
  Museum 
  officials, 
  not 
  only 
  

   to 
  work 
  at 
  the 
  subject 
  themselves, 
  but 
  to 
  enlist 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  

   every 
  available 
  outside 
  worker, 
  that 
  real 
  substantial 
  progress 
  

   can 
  be 
  made. 
  The 
  talents 
  of 
  the 
  outside 
  public 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  

   fully 
  used 
  by 
  a 
  system 
  by 
  which 
  specimens 
  can 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  

   the 
  charge 
  of 
  any 
  competent 
  worker 
  to 
  be 
  determined 
  by 
  him 
  

   at 
  his 
  own 
  home, 
  and 
  at 
  his 
  leisure, 
  for 
  a 
  certain 
  definite 
  

   time, 
  and 
  under 
  well 
  understood 
  rules. 
  The 
  benefit 
  to 
  the 
  

   Museum 
  collections 
  under 
  a 
  system 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  is 
  obvious. 
  

   The 
  great 
  mass 
  of 
  unnamed 
  materials, 
  which, 
  we 
  believe, 
  

   now 
  exists 
  in 
  the 
  Museum, 
  would 
  be 
  gradually 
  worked 
  into 
  

   order 
  ; 
  and, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  the 
  inducement 
  of 
  having 
  a 
  

   good 
  series 
  of 
  specimens 
  to 
  work 
  at, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  way 
  that 
  suits 
  

   the 
  circumstances 
  of 
  the 
  outside 
  workers, 
  will 
  certainlv 
  tend 
  

  

  