The Eastern Congo 



(g) Note month. 



{h) Any habits. 



{i) Any enemies observed — also parasites. 



(7) Fix any larvae with curious structures. 



(k) Resting attitude. 



6. PuPiE, 



Preserve all pupa-cases where the adult is known. 



7. Ova. 



Where identified, preserve some in 5% formalin. Label 

 with date. 



In the course of my travels I have so often been asked, 

 What use there is in collecting butterflies, that I feel some 

 reply is necessary to refute the imphed suggestion and general 

 belief that the collecting of lepidoptera is just a rich man's 

 hobby. 



Firstly, let me say, therefore, that there is the question 

 of its great usefulness from an economic standpoint. The 

 origin of silk is too well known to need mention here, but let 

 us take the larvae of certain butterflies and moths which 

 destroy annually many million pounds' worth of all kinds of 

 vegetable and other products useftil to man, and we then 

 see that any research that tends to lessen or check this loss 

 is of supreme advantage to mankind. Then again its usefulness 

 is apparent in assisting geologists, botanists, and zoologists 

 in their determinations and the solving of many faunal 

 geographical enigmas and thus ably adding to the sum of the 

 world's knowledge. There are, too, many perplexing questions 

 regarding mimicry in butterflies that when finally settled 

 will throw fresh light on biological research. Then who can 

 ponder for one instant on the wonderful metamorphosis of a 



252 



