Ill 
characteristic, aiid when only one view can be made, is generally to be 
preferred. The legs can generally be shown to best advantage in the 
conventional position, that is, drawn out and symmetrically placed at 
the sides of the body. The wings of Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidop- 
tera, Odonata, and the like, should generally be represented drawn out 
and placed symmetrically for the reason that they show in this position 
characteristics of venation, and markings are more easily drawn, and 
more readily compared with specimens. It requires something of the 
artist to show an insect in natural positions, of rapid flight for example, 
and most entomologists can not afford to attempt it. If a special 
draftsman is at one's elbow, the case is somewhat different. Awk- 
ward attempts, however, are worse than none, and it is not every 
entomological draftsman who is competent to do such illustrative 
work as that in "Sharp Eyes," by Gibson. 
But supposing the objects to have been judiciously selected, how 
shall the drawings be reproduced? Must it be. by cheap process, by 
wood engraving, by lithography, or by etching ? 
Etching, by leaving all the hand work to the draftsman, is theoreti- 
cally a good method of making entomological illustrations. If the ento- 
mologist makes his drawing on the plate skillfully there is no chance 
for alteration afterwards, except as the subsequent mechanical work 
of biting in, and printing, may be poorly done. The special method of 
drawing called for, however, will deter most of us from attempting it. 
With only about thirty years for effective work at one's disposal it does 
not seem wise to expend energy in acquiring unusual methods, which 
may any day be superseded by something better and cheaper. The 
further fact that etchings can not be printed with ordinary type is an 
objection which ought always to prevent their use by the economic 
entomologist. 
Lithography has furnished some excellent results to the entomologist. 
The French have shown themselves especially proficient in this method 
of making figures. Some of their work appears to me to be unrivalled 
for pure beauty and delicacy of execution. In the United States we 
have, with some very inferior work in this line, some very good examples 
of the lithographer's skill, as in Edwards's Butterflies of North America. 
But lithography costs too much for use by the economic entomologist. 
We can not afford to pay $200 or more for small editions of plates. We 
can't afford to use, except on special occasions, an illustration that can 
not be duplicated in the future. We do not want an illustration that can 
not be printed by the ordinary printer on the ordinary press. We want 
both illustration and text printed at one and the same time. The 
lithograph requires a special press, it can not be used again and again. 
And another objection to it is that it must be printed in plates, whereas 
it is often desirable to separate groups of plate figures and distribute 
them in text. It would seem that for the economic entomologist, the 
lithograph must always be an expensive luxury. 
