5078 Insects. 



our native lists: possibly he may meet with disappointment, hut by far the most pro- 

 bable surmise is that he will be well rewarded for his trouble. Thanks to the assiduous 

 labours of a few practical entomologists, our knowledge has of late years been greatly 

 increased, and perhaps at no other period has so much attention been accorded to the 

 study, but still much remains to be done. It is impossible to form an idea of the 

 number of species yet remaining undiscovered. It is well known that many species 

 are very local, and \f may reasonably be supposed that there are many such in ex- 

 istence entirely unknown. Scotland but a few years back was "terra incognita," but 

 what a rich field has there been opened ! rare insects have occurred in profusion, and 

 it is no presumption to imagine that other localities may prove equally rich. Wales 

 and Ireland both assert their claims to a careful investigation, but still in " Old 

 England" there remains much untouched ground, which is not open in so great a 

 degree to the objection of distance as either of the former are. Among the Tineina 

 and Tortricina a rich harvest may be expected : these families, not being so easily 

 attracted as the Noctuidae, may have remained local and unknown for ages. Doubt- 

 less many well-known and explored localities may still produce new species, but such 

 localities, being principally in the vicinity of London, might be left to those collectors 

 who can only escape from toil one day in the week. The quicker we arrive at a com- 

 plete knowledge of the Entomology of Britain the better, for in these days of railroads 

 and building none can say what species may not be exterminated which eyes of man 

 have never gazed upon. These remarks are most applicable to the neighbourhood of 

 large towns, which, by the rapid extension of their suburbs, must eventually cause the 

 destruction of many species. The labours of such collectors as Weaver, Harding, 

 Bouchard, &c, have demonstrated the result of perseverance in new localities ; and, 

 in conclusion, I would only add that the enterprising entomologist who would wish to 

 extend the list of native species must overcome his partiality for old localities, and 

 visit "terra incognita." — C.Miller; 17, Silurian Terrace, Broke Road, Dalslon, 

 April 4, 1856. 



What is Indigenous P — One says, born in a country ; another, born of native 

 parents ; another, living in a country for several generations ; and if we turn to John- 

 son's Dictionary, that repository of etymological wisdom, we find " Originally produced 

 or bom in a country." All this is very perplexing, but when we look at the actual 

 state of affairs our difficulties are increased tenfold. Thus to take the inhabitants of 

 Great Britain: — but first a word as to the extent of this country. There are certain 

 little bits of land, lying off the French coast, which are so happy as to acknowledge 

 the sovereignty of our gracious Queen : now are these a part of the Continent, or of 

 our island? our botanical friends say they belong to us, but Entomologists scout the 

 idea. " Who 's to decide when doctors disagree ? '' And now as to the Fauna and 

 Flora of Great Britain : the quadrupeds have all been known for years, and a new 

 one would have a hard struggle to get into the list ; and thus there is more than one 

 species of rat, in and about our docks, which have lived there for generations without 

 any prospect of being raised to the rank of indigenous: an ornithologist, on the other 

 hand, considers every bird to be English which has ever been shot on English ground, 

 and very many of those on our list have never been known to breed here. Again, in 



