THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCEB. 
Ill 
cloptera, as essential to a full knowledge 
of ibeir markings and distinctions; hut 
here I think we stop short of what ought 
to be done. I would have an ample 
number so displayed, and then, in con- 
nection with them, would have other 
specimens set in the form in which we 
see them in nature, seated on a flower or 
tree, &c. A well-displayed specimen 
shows all the insect’s beauties, but, at 
the same time, shows that which in 
nature we do not see. 
The attitudes of birds are studied and 
exhibited by the preserver. Why not 
those of insects, not as superseding the 
present mode, but as auxiliary and in 
addition to it ? 
Yours truly, 
Thomas Thompson. 
Spring Hill, Welton, Hull, 
December 14. 
A DIFFICULTY. 
To the. Editor of the ‘ Intelligencer.' 
Sir, — Are your pages open for informa- 
tion, which, I cannot but think, many 
incipient entomologists like myself would 
gratefully receive? — e. g. we have cap- 
tured some few specimens, which we 
have, with very great care, compared 
with those wonderfully-coloured plates in 
Wood’s ‘ British Moths,’ but defy the 
slightest resemblance to be detected. 
The same may be said of Humphrey’s 
‘ British Moths.’ We have wasted many 
hours in endeavouring to trace even the 
most faint likeness between the original 
and the copy, as lawyers would say. Not 
many months since we fooled away, for 
a copy of “Wood” a sum we are 
ashamed to acknowledge. As a book of 
reference we have found it perfectly use- 
less. Entomologists who have only just 
passed their “smalls” require not only 
such books of reference as your invaluable 
‘ Manual’ (which has seen so much ser- 
vice with us as to claim to retire, vice a 
new copy), but carefully-coloured dia- 
grams. Is there such a work extant, and 
where may it be inspected ? 
We captured what we supposed at the 
time, and still believe, to be Agrotis 
Saucia. We turn to “ Humphreys,” and 
there find a figure given, which is as like 
our Saucia as an omnibus conductor of 
the present day is to the old mail-coach 
guard. We turn in disgust to “ Wood,” 
and, like the “ babes” of old, are nearly 
lost in it, not having even the satisfaction 
of seeing the cock robins ready to cover 
our innocence with their leaves. We 
hurry oflf to the British Museum, and are 
very politely informed that if we will 
call some Thursday the entomological 
treasures there so carefully guarded shall 
be open for our inspection. 
We sent a box of insects some weeks 
back to a collector (a dealer), who had 
very kindly promised to name some forty 
specimens therein. We called some few 
times, and, upon the last occasion, were 
told that the great man was so much 
engaged in arranging cabinets for his 
customers (from some of whom, we were 
politely told, he had received as much as 
twenty pounds for his trouble !) Our 
humble request was, however, treated 
with much courtesy ; but we thought, 
and quite hope you will think with us, 
that this “want” might be supplied by 
books of reference, if authors would only 
insist upon their engravers giving a 
faithful copy of the insect they pretend 
to be exact. 
Sir, do help us, if you can. The idea 
has more than once crossed our minds 
that the stereoscope might be made very 
useful in securing fidelity. We have 
groups of flowers faithfully represented, — ■ 
why not groups of insects? We contend 
that Venus would be as well represented 
by a lady of Billingsgate as are most of 
our English Lepidoptera by the en- 
gravings in the works we have named. 
Yours, &c., 
A BAnr. in the Wood. 
