"local," "BRITISH," AND "FOREIGN." 327 



worked out) for tlie tliree " local " birds, yet it will be seen by the 

 foregoing tables that tbose tliree " locals " would do equally as 

 well if placed in tbe " British " division, and the sum total of 

 the " local " and " British " might be placed correctly with all 

 the rest in the " foreign." Why, then, should valuable space be 

 wasted for three birds, simply to perpetuate an error in work- 

 ing out a crotchet ? The question again arose, What could such 

 a " model " system as this teach ? This was effectually answered 

 by a specimen case, representing the above, being fitted up, when 

 the glaring errors of the proposed system were at once evident, 

 there being fully a space of 10ft. x 3ft. 6in. x 2ft. 6in. = 

 87Ht. cube, devoted to five birds only — three of which 

 were not now found in the county. These represented the 

 "locals." In the "British" division, of 10ft. in length x 

 2ft. Gin. in height x 1ft. Gin. back to front, viz., a cube of 

 37|ft. there appeared but six others — three of which were 

 doubtful. Furthermore, as if to point to the crowning absurdity 

 of the whole scheme, but 10ft. x 2ft. x 1ft. zzz 20ft. cube, was 

 provided for the great remainder of the " foreign " specimens, 

 nearly thirty-seven times as numerous as both " local " and 

 " British " combined. 



Now for the cheapness of the system advocated. In the first 

 place, local specimens of rare birds are not cheap. For instance, 

 anyone can get a foreign specimen of — say, the honey buzzard — 

 for about 8s., but a locally-killed specimen would be very likely 

 to cost several pounds. As for the " elasticity " of such a 

 system, if it is meant that it will stretch any way but the right, 

 I agree, but if meant to be applied to any department of 

 natural history it is distinctly wrong. 



Let us take the case of the invertebrates, nearly all of which, 

 as the birds, have a wide range. Many instances occur to me, 

 but one will be sufficient, Vanessa Antiojpa, the " Camberwell 

 Beauty " butterfly. Now this insect has been taken three times 

 (perhaps more ?) in the county, and I suppose it has occurred 

 in nearly every county in England, but as it is found also com- 

 monly throughout the greater part of Europe, parts of Africa, 

 Asia, and America, we are confronted by the unpleasant 

 reminder, "what shall we do with it" under the system pro- 

 posed ? It is, according to that theory, " local," " British," and 



