Vlll PREFACE. 



another year, this being, under the present circum- 

 stances, impossible. 



(2) I find it is only possible to study a few life- 

 histories in any one year. 



(3) It is only in trying to write out some of my 

 notes that I have found out the form in which they 

 can best be taken. Needless to say that mine, copious 

 as they are, are not in that form. 



When inviting me to take up the work hitherto 

 done by Mr. Hellins, you introduced the subject by 

 asking the question " Who is to do it?" May I now 

 tardily answer it, Sussex fashion, with another query, 

 " Why do it ?" Why not publish the Plates, together 

 with Messrs. Buckler's and Hellins' articles and notes, 

 as their work pure and simple ? This course would, in 

 my opinion, result in the production of a grand work 

 of reference, which would be for the United Kingdom 

 what Hubner's great work is for the Continent. 



I must again apologise for the inconvenience you 

 have been caused by the course I have taken. You 

 will probably agree with me that to have been inun- 

 dated with a mass of ill-digested materials would have 

 been a worse evil still, and will allow at least that I 

 am doing at last what I ought to have done earlier in 

 asking you to release me from the duty I had under- 

 taken. 



With the best wishes of the season, 



I am 

 Yours very truly 



W. H. B. Fletcher. 



H. T. Stainton, Esq., F.R.S., 



Mountsfield, Lewisham. 



In this position of affairs it has been decided to 



