THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 20.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1856. [Price 1 d. 
FOREIGN INSECTS. 
The entomologists of this country, as a. 
rule, collect none hut British insects : 
we are not expressing our opinion on the 
wisdom of that rule, we are simply 
stating the fact that it is so. 
Some British insects are rare. The 
desire to obtain these rare insects is a 
strong desire among all collectors. To 
gratify this desire it is the custom to pur- 
chase these rarities in the insect markets 
abroad, import them into this country, 
and sell them to the unwary as British ; 
and probably there is not one cabinet in 
twenty that does not unwittingly contain 
these supposed-to-be British specimens. 
As a proof of the actual demand that 
exists for these rare British species in the 
continental markets, we may mention 
that on looking through a collection at 
Paris, such species as Carmelita, Nubecu- 
losa, &c.,were wanting, and on enquiring 
the reason, the reply was that the col- 
lector had parted with his specimens of 
these species to an insect dealer who had 
an extensive order for them from Eng- 
land. Lathonia is sent over here from 
Paris by the hundred; and we have no 
doubt that the price of Eriopus La- 
Ireillei will be raised in the markets 
abroad by the fact of Mr. Hunter’s speci- 
men rendering it a British species. 
There would be some sense in this pro- 
ceeding if these insects were bought and 
sold as what they are — foreign speci- 
mens ; but no : they are regularly pre- 
pared for the English market, and soon 
they will be set, while fresh, in the Eng- 
lish fashion, in order to pass move readily 
for English specimens: some imagine 
that you can always ascertain whether an 
insect is foreign by relaxing it, and 
noticing whether the wings attain the 
horizontal position due to the continental 
setting. This may be the case now, 
but it will not long be so. The evil then 
is a growing one and a serious one ; but 
may it not be productive of good, when 
we find that, whether we wish it or not, 
our collections insensibly get tenanted 
by French and German specimens, shall 
we not get our ideas by degrees enlarged, 
and begin to collect European insects in 
general ? 
A French Daplidice, bought as a 
French specimen, would not cost more 
than six pence ; but if it has to be set in 
a particular way, in order that it may 
pass for a British specimen, we must not 
be surprised if we are asked six shillings 
for it. 
Artaxerxes is exported to the Conti- 
nent ; but it is not attempted to pass the 
Scotch specimens off as real Swiss cap- 
tures : on the Continent they take the 
thing for what it is worth, and don’t try 
to give it a fictitious value by passing it 
off for what it is not. “They manage 
these things better in France.” 
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