THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



93 



collectors, who having corresponded together 

 or years, may, although they may never 

 have met each other, he called old friends. 

 Beginners cannot expect to he placed on a 

 footing with any of these. They will, in the 

 course of years, acquire their own Entomo- 

 logical correspondents, with whom they will 

 he more intimate than with casual exchangers, 

 and for whom they reserve their best things. 

 Most of " old hands " have an inner circle, 

 and on outer circle of correspondents. The 

 inner circle will include a few more intimate 

 friehds, some of whom they may know per- 

 sonally, have arranged an excursion or two 

 nlth, or otherwise been in closer connection 

 than with others. When they get anything 

 especially good, they share their spare speci- 

 mens first, with the members of this inner 

 circle. The outer circle will include their 

 older correspondents, with whom these 

 especially intimate relations have never been 

 brought about. To the members of this 

 outer circle, their spare specimens of good 

 things will go after the more select few have 

 been supplied. In sending specimens in this 

 way, no arrangement for return is ever thought 

 about. Each sends to the other what he can 

 and whether he ge^s a return or not, is a 

 matter that never enters into the considera- 

 tion of either. After all these have been 

 supplied, the species in question may then 

 be offered for exchange in the ordinary way. 

 Perhaps even a third circle may obtain in 

 some cases ; persons to whom the fortunate 

 individual may write and offer his insects — 

 not as a free gift, but in return for something 

 desired. Thus it happens generally, that 

 before a novelty or a rarity, that someone 

 has turned up pretty freely, is offered through 

 the ordinary channels of exchange, nearly all 

 the principal cabinets of the country are 

 supplied with sets of the species. This is 

 the reason, too, that really rare insects are 

 so seldom ofiered in exchange. Their fortu- 

 nate captors or breeders have friends to whom 

 their spare specimens are given cuway^ before 



anyone else is offered theirs, even for a good 

 return. 



The second mode of exchange is by ordi- 

 nary advertisement, and as this is really the 

 only mode open to beginners, it is, perhaps, 

 the most important The old mode of making 

 offers, was to name both duplicates and 

 desiderata. This is still done sometimes, but 

 j far more frequently, the duplicates only are 

 named, and those who want them are expected 

 to write and offer what they are able to give. 

 Probably this is more advantageous than the 

 other. But the beginner is puzzled what to 

 offer, and at first may doubtless make some 

 bungles. There are very many species of 

 almost universal distribution in this country, 

 but even of these, some do not occur every- 

 where. Whole districts are without such 

 common butterflies as Megcera and JEgericu, 

 Rhamni does not get further north than 

 Yorkshire, and so on. Even of those species 

 that do occur everywhere, many collectors 

 will be glad of specimens from places two or 

 three hundred miles further north or south, 

 to show that the species either does or does 

 not vary locally. Coast i ollectors will be glad 

 of inland examples and vice versa. But all 

 this can only he learned by experience, and 

 the beginner will soon get to know which 

 species he can dispose of in exchange.and which 

 he can not. Having offered your specimens, 

 you await rejjly ; and what we have to say 

 to you here about those who write, will also 

 apply to yourself, when you are writing to 

 others in response to their offers. If you 

 happen to have an insect to spare, much 

 needed by collectors, you will probably have 

 more applications for it than you can supply. 

 How shall \ou discriminate ? Must you get a 

 pricei cat logue, and take the most valuab'e 

 insects ? We would very strongly advise you 

 never to look at a priced catalogue when you 

 are arranging an exchange. Reply first to those 

 whose letters are couched in most friendly 

 terms ; whose offers savour least of bargain- 

 ing. These are the kind of correspondents 



