without having to remove the glass lid from a drawer. It is imperative that these specimens retain all their 

 lahels. It must always be borne in mind that any specimen is likely to accumulate such labels, especially 

 those mentioned in literature, or carry the additional accolade of being described as representing 'new 

 species to science'. 



Voucher specimens need to be locateable for scientific study. Therefore place of depository should 

 be stated when material is being listed in publication. This information, plus, the intimate labels of individual 

 specimens, forms the methodology by which they can be accurately located. 



It needs to be realised that though local collections may have been built up as a hobby, or for 

 genuine scientific interest, these collections are most likely to survive for posterity. Private collections of 

 biological specimens may pass to future generations within the family, or be deposited into local or national 

 museums. Old insect collections rarely go to waste and are always of the greatest use to entomologists for 

 faunistic and taxonomic studies. If for no other purpose, old, even unlabelled specimens are useful for 

 quantative or practice dissections. Material from the Channel Islands may need to be examined by 

 entomologists from any part of the world and they will want to make full use of the data each specimen may 

 carry. Biological collections are valuable commodities and should be regarded with the care and 

 consideration that they deserve. 



36 



