THE FOODPLANT CHARTS. 



At the very outset of my work in butterfly farming the discovery was 

 made that there is no such thing published as an up-to-date list of the food- 

 plants of the larvae of moths and butterflies. Such a list is an absolute necessity. 

 W. C. Dukes of Mobile, Alabama, was the first to call my attention to the 

 lack of such a list. He wrote: "If you will pardon the 'nerve' of a 

 stranger, I would offer a suggestion that is in connection with your work. 

 There would be a good opportunity to formulate a list of the foodplants of 

 the different genera of moths and butterflies. There is no such work extant, 

 so far as I know, and I think such a work would fill a want, and meet with 

 sufficient demand to warrant publication." With the assistance of many of 

 the foremost Entomologists such lists were prepared last year and was sent 

 out as circulars 6 and 8, of the free correspondence course. A large edition 

 of these was printed and I shall be pleased to send them, prepaid, to each 

 subscriber who has not already received them. I shall also be glad to mail 

 them to all scientists who have bred lepidoptera. A vast number of additions 

 and corrections have been made to these charts by my correspondents and in 

 due time revised charts will be published. 



SOUTH AMERICAN HUMMING BIRD SKINS. 



A correspondent from South America sends me large numbers of very 

 beautiful humming bird skins properly prepared for the taxidermist, which I can 

 sell at a reasonable figure. I shall be pleased to learn the name of dealers who 

 handle such material. 



SOUTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



A correspondent in Bogota is sending me magnificent specimens of South 

 American Lepidoptera. I do not know the prices paid for such material nor 

 do I know the names of purchasers. It will be a favor if any of you can 

 assist me in marketing such specimens. 



THE BEAUTIFUL IN ENTOMOLOGY NEGLECTED. 



During the past quarter of a century the practical side of entomology has 

 received almost the exclusive attention of scientists. The aesthetic and beautiful 

 has been abandoned to those individuals who were forming collections, and to 

 the poorly paid collectors who actually secured the specimens. Nearly all the 

 graduates of the universities who studied entomology have turned their attention 

 solely to insects injurious to agriculture, viticulture and horticulture. The 

 courses taught in colleges have generally been confined to these topics. The 

 enemies and parasites of butterflies and moths have been bred by state and 

 nation, and educated scientists have been offered remunerative positions in great 

 insectaries for this purpose. The state and federal institutions expend millions 

 of dollars annually to destroy the larvae of lepidoptera. 



During the last few years, however, nature studies have been taught in 

 all schools, nature study classes have been formed among the intelligent people 

 in almost every community and scores of able writers have published books 

 for nature lovers. The brilliantly colored specimens, the marvelous trans- 

 formations of the butterfly and moth have led thousands and thousands of 



