110 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
His work, justly recognised for its care and thoughtfulness, will be his 
most fitting and lasting monument. ‘To us, who have recently been 
so intimately concerned in working out the excellent papers on the 
Psychides, written some 40 years ago, his death comes as a personal 
loss, and with a deep feeling of regret that another great master has 
passed from among us. We trust that his types (and those of Herrich- 
Schiffer and Heinemann that are in his collection) will be obtained 
for the use of future Einelish students. 
The sale of the collection of lepidoptera made by the late Mr. 8. 
Stevens took place on March 27th-28th. Among the specimens were 
many of Haworth’s types, and other valuable historical material. We 
suspected that the British Museum authorities would have recognised 
the importance of obtaining these specimens and would have taken 
steps to have annexed them for the National collection at the Natural 
History Museum. It would appear, however, that lepidoptera are 
about the last thing that the powers that be purchase now for the 
collections. 
Speaking of the collections at South Kensington, one suspects that 
they are intended primarily for the use of students. One is tempted 
to ask whether the collection of Heterocera is, at the present time, of 
the slightest use to real students. In working through the Psychids 
we have found ourselves hampered at every turn (1) by the want of 
material, (2) by the way in which so many species are incorrectly 
named. One does not feel inclined to grumble if the official staff 
cannot always name Fumeids, but one is staggered when one discovers 
Frey and Zeller’s examples of Ptilocephala angustella, H.-Sch. (=atra, 
Ksp.) and P. atra, Linn. (= plumifera, Ochs.), all lumped into one 
series, and now that our attention is being turned to the Lachneids, 
the pairing off of a fine ? Lasiocampa quercus with a pale male of 
Pachygastria trifolii, the interchanging of females of Lachnets catax 
and LL. rimicola, and the union of Frey and Zeller’s examples of the 
allied Malacosoma alpicola and M. franconica into one heterogeneous 
series, are among our first discoveries. We have previously expressed 
our regret that the authorities of the British Museum permitted any in- 
terference with the collections of two such naturalists as Zeller and Frey, 
and the injury done by their absorption in: the general collection is, 
scientifically, incalculable. Insects comprise four-fifths perhaps of the 
fauna of the world. ‘Their study is infinitely more intricate and 
difficult than that of the Vertebrata, &e. - We should be interested to 
learn whether four-fifths of the money granted for purchases go to the 
insect department, and if not what determines the percentage ? With 
regard to the existing blanks of comparatively common species in the 
collection, we gather incidentally that these are not likely to be 
filled up, and the students and workers at lepidoptera will have to 
struggle with the incomplete material at present there. What have 
the Trustees, who are entomologists, to say in the matter? Will they 
not insist that a fair share of the money that is spent goes on insects, 
other than those required for the work of the official staff? 
The prices fetched for some of the specimens at the sale of the 
‘Sam Stevens’ ”’ collection were remarkably high and this was especi- 
ally the case with the Rhopalocera—Pieris daplidice, £1, 12s., 14s. (for 
two) ; a fine ¢ aberration of Huchloé cardamines without central spot 
and black tips to forewings, a @ with exceptionally large central spots 
