THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
17S 
out, as they (one of them at least) were 
not permanent. He also exhibited 
foreign specimens of Minos, Scabiosce 
and Achillem. It was observed of this 
that as a true 5-spot it could not be con- 
founded with any of the Galway speci- 
mens. 
Mr. Greening exhibited a box of 
varieties of T. Crepuscularia, very fine. 
Mr. Wilkinson exhibited a box of 
black varieties of X. Polyodon, taken on 
Simonswood Moss. 
The President exhibited N. Sobrina 
and perfectly black L. Ccesiata. 
The President also exhibited, on be- 
half of Mr. Palmer, Eupilhecia con- 
signata ; on behalf of Mr. Bradley, very 
fine Dicera oenea, and a good specimen 
of P. Daplidice, taken in Lancashire ; 
and, on behalf of Mr. Johnson, a fine 
series of varieties of A. Grossulariata, 
bred upon sloe, and a series of Eupi- 
lhecia, varieties Cognaria, Subfulvaria, 
&c., &c., bred from yarrow, some desti- 
tute of red, but none typical of Succen- 
luriata. The President observed that he 
believed this larva, if fed upon sallow, 
would probably produce the light variety : 
he exhibited larvae of Acidalia Aversata 
and Eupilhecia Indigata feeding on 
sallow, and remarked that there were 
few “ Pugs ” which would not feed upon 
sallow in confinement. 
G, H. Wilkinson, 
Hon. Sec. 
PERIODICAL LITERATURE. 
To the Editor of the * Intelligencer.' 
Sir, — The views on periodical litera- 
ture and ils consequences expressed by 
you in your last leading article are 
diametrically opposed to mine. You 
look upon the continually increasing 
number of periodicals as an evil. I con- 
sider it a good. Natural Science is like 
the diamond, which becomes more and 
more beautiful, as an increased number 
of facets are cut upon it, — and that is 
precisely the kind of work which pe- 
riodicals necessitate. You complain that 
matter is written solely in order to fill 
the pages, and that hence much is pro- 
duced which is of little value. This, in 
my opinion, is precisely analogous to 
the whole of human life. The day, 
which always has its full twenty-four 
hours, is the journal which, well or ill, 
must be filled completely. I would not, 
if I could, strike out the tedious pages 
or hours, for they serve as a foil to the 
remainder. The half of life, sometimes 
the more than half, is spent in sleep, and 
it appears to me only reasonable if in that 
respect the daily press imitates Nature. 
Besides all entomologists are not so ex- 
orbitant as to wish their glass always 
filled to the brim. 
I cannot at all enter into your feelings 
of sympathy for librarians. Librarians 
most certainly belong to that class of 
beings with which Heaven itself had no 
sympathy when they were created. It 
is their vocation to be always tormented. 
A good library may be compared to a 
clock, and the librarian is the pendulum, 
which must be always moving, unless 
the works are to stand still. That he 
should enliven his movements by a more 
or less melodious groaning is very natu- 
ral, since even a locomotive breathes 
louder when it has to mend its pace. 
But, Mr. Editor, it seems to me that 
^ you have quite overlooked one main ob- 
ject of periodicals, — namely, their aim 
constantly and so repeatedly to be urging 
others on. Nature is so infinitely varied, 
and our knowledge still so defective, that 
a constant urging on is very necessary. 
