94 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



it is most desirable for yon to cultivate ; 

 these are the people who may form your 

 inner circle in after years. You will very 

 soon be able to separate the wheat from the 

 chaff; to see the differencas between those 

 who want to drive a hard bargain and those 

 who are desirous of affording mutual assist- 

 ance. So soon as you find one of the right 

 sort, exchange lists with him, and keep up a 

 regular correspondence. Send him all you 

 can — always the best of what you have. He 

 will surely do the same by you if he really 

 be the right sort. Even with a casual corres- 

 pondent, make it a rule to do the very best 

 you can for him. Nor must you do this with 

 the idea that it pays best in the long run, 

 but because it is the proper thing to do. 



But there are other things to be considered 

 besides arranging what species you are to 

 give and receive. Condition is very much 

 more taken into consideration now than it 

 used to be formerly. Many collectors now 

 will scarcely place an insect in their cabinets 

 that is not bred or equal to bred. For our- 

 selves, we certainly prefer rather to hare a bad 

 specimen than none at all : but everyone has 

 a right to have their own opinion. We object, 

 however, to offers of exchange that add "only 

 perfect specimens given or received," or any 

 equivalent to this. The assumption should 

 be that all insects are in good condition, and 

 no one has a right to send insects out that 

 are not so, without a previous intimation of 

 that fact. If this were understood, such 

 additions as the above would not be needed. 

 When an insect is bred, it is right to say so ; 

 but never offer anything in bad condition 

 except great rarieties. A beginner maj very 

 naturally ask — What constitutes good con- 

 dition ? This is very much a matter of 

 opinion. Some will consider an insect good 

 that another will call fair, and a third bad. 

 The writer had a lot of things sent him the 

 other day, described as vet^ fair, which he 

 would have unhesitatingly pronounced to be 

 very 'had. To be in good condition an insect 



should be perfect in all its parts, and certain- 

 ly should have two antennge and a body. The 

 wings should not be broken at the tips, and 

 should bear no perceptible mark of being 

 rubbed Hold the specimen up between your 

 eye and the light, and you will soon see if 

 it can pass as good or fair. Lastly, it should 

 be well set and free from grease. 



Packing your insects for transmission by 

 post is an important matter, on which we 

 have written at length before, and must now 

 speak very briefly about. Get your first 

 correspondents to send their insects before 

 you, and take particular notice how the 

 bodies are cross-pinned and carefully packed 

 with cotton wadding. Even in cross-pinning 

 we have known more haim done by not 

 inserting the pins far enough into the cork 

 than conld have been done by taking no 

 precaution at all. A big, heavy pin knocking 

 about the box will destroy more antennae 

 than will a loose body. Take care, therefore, 

 to insert them well and firmly into the cork. 

 If you faithfully follow out the few hints 

 given here, with such other suggestions as 

 your own experience will soon give, you will 

 soon find entomologists glad to exchange 

 with you, and glad also to do the best in their 

 power to help your collection. 



QUERIES. 



19. 



Collecting Ichneumons. — When out 

 collecting small ichneumons and flies in 

 hot weather, I have found on arriving at 

 home and opening the chip boxes that many 

 of them had died and become stiff. Can 

 Mr. Bignell or anyone else tell me of a' 

 better plan for bringing small insects home 

 without pinning ? — L.S. 



20. 



Ichneumon on H. Petasitis.— Having for 

 many years gone digging for the pupae of 

 Hydrcscia petasitis at the roots of the butter- 

 bur (Petasitis vnlgaHs), I have on several 



