WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
“ ENTOMA QUIDQUID AGUNT NOSTRI EST FARRAGO LIBELLI.” 
No. 19.] SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1862. [Price 2d. 
COLEOP1EEA. 
"f. must ^ iave keen very discourag- 
ing to the Editor of the “ Intel- 
ligencer,” that, notwithstanding his 
frequent appeals for more students of 
the neglected orders, and for mercy 
on the poor Lepidoptera, which were 
being collected to the exclusion of 
every thing else, so little (apparently) 
was effected. We imagine, however, 
that his continued exertions are now 
beginning to bear fruit. Already we 
know of two or three who have lately 
“ bid for the bugs w r e are acquain- 
ted with one who feels a growing 
interest in the Diptera , — and so on 
through several orders : while Coleop- 
terists are really becoming far from 
rare. And so it ever is. One sows 
and another reaps ; and the harvest 
is, we hope, just coming up for the 
Editor of the “ Entomologist,” which 
was sown by the Editor of the “ In- 
telligencer.” It would, perhaps, not 
he out of place, to take this oppor- 
tunity of offering a few remarks on 
the interesting order of insects whose 
name graces the head of this article. 
Probably most Coleopterists are 
Lepidopterists too, and have gained 
some considerable knowdedge of the 
latter group, before commencing the 
study of the former. It is seldom we 
meet with anyone bold enough to 
‘ bid for the bugs,’ or the beetles either 
till he has first felt his way, by mak- 
ing the acquaintance of the butterflies. 
Such Coleopterists as these will 
find their difficulties much increased 
on this, their first advance towards 
the neglected orders, but they must 
expect nothing else, — for here there 
are more laurels to be won. The 
soldier who wins the highest glory, 
on the battle field has to struggle 
with the most formidable foe, and so 
the Entomologist who becomes most 
scientific does it by meeting, and 
overcoming difficulties from which he 
would have shrunk, when he began 
his course. 
The hindrances in the way of study- 
ing Coleoptera, as compared with 
Lepidoptera are many. To begin 
with, — there are considerably more 
species, and, — to go on, — many of 
them are more difficult to separate. 
Talk of the difficulty of distinguishing 
the Tine® ? What are these when 
compared with the “ Staphs ! ” 
Most incipient Coleopterists will 
say we have already told them quite 
enough in the way of discouragement 
