THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
87 
to such as have sent in the best pre- 
pared, rarest, or most numerous, good 
specimens. 
All the mechanism required is — 
1. A small annual subscription (say 
5s.), to cover the expense of hire 
of room, postage, carriage of 
parcels, &c. 
2. A room in which to receive and 
sort the parcels. 
3. A committee of persons well ac- 
quainted with the species, com- 
petent to judge of the condition 
of specimens, and in whose award 
of exchange the contributors 
would place confidence. 
By such simple means the herbaria of 
most British botanists have been rendered 
comparatively complete ; and this without 
any need of the importunate, and too 
often impertinent, correspondence, of 
which so much has been said. If speci- 
mens and information are on this account 
to be withheld I cannot but think that 
the interests and pleasures of Entomology 
will be seriously compromised. 
It is believed that if entomologists 
would only adopt the botanist’s plan 
great advantages would result in many 
ways. What a saving might there not 
be effected in postage-stamps and note- 
paper ! in time, and trouble, and temper ! 
Above all, the dealers will be kept at 
arms’ length ; for they are hardly likely 
to apply where they cannot expect more 
than an equivalent return. 
How easy for a collector residing at 
the head-quarters of any scarce insect to 
set 100 or 200 specimens! How glad 
would not many be thus to relieve the 
plethora of their boxes, sure at least of 
being spared the nuisance of a long cor- 
respondence with a stranger ! 
It is not supposed that many very rare 
insects would be circulated by such 
means; but the plan seems to offer great 
facilities for satisfying the innumerable 
demands now made for species mode- 
rately common or locally abundant. 
But, sir, I am well aware there are 
many difficulties in the way. It is true 
that insect specimens have a market 
value, which dried plants seldom have; 
still liberality is not unknown among 
the brothers of the net. If some reluc- 
tance might at first be felt in trusting 
our specimens to another’s estimate than 
our own, who would not give fifty insects 
familiar to himself for half a dozen new 
species? Perhaps the attempt might be 
made to pass off foreign specimens as 
British? but an offender so detected 
should at once be expelled from the 
Club. There may be other objections, 
and if so I trust they will be discussed 
in this paper. The details of arrange- 
ment may safely be left to any who 
may feel disposed to consider the sug- 
gestion of 
A Botanist. 
FEN INSECTS. 
To the Editor of the ‘ Intelligencer,' 
Sir,— As the feu insects are now dis- 
tributed to the subscribers, as far as they 
would go (and where no distribution has 
taken place I have returned the money 
in full), I have now to return my best 
thanks to the gentry and clergy who 
have so kindly come forward to assist my 
plans. As the fens were flooded nearly 
all the season, I was not enabled to carry 
out my plans so well as I could have 
wished, though in the PbryganidoB I was 
fortunate enough to turn up one new 
