THE ENTOMOLOGISTS 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 123.] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1859. [Price Ic?. 
IDLENESS. 
We trust none of our readers are really 
guilty of this crime; but this is about 
the most slack time of year in the 
lives of some entomologists, and we fear 
that in some quarters there is a ten- 
dency to be idle. 
The captures of last year have now 
all been carefully attended to, ex- 
amined, put away and distributed ; but 
is everything in order for the coming 
season ? No ! Larva-cages are not 
cleared ont, setting-boards are all hig- 
gledy-piggledy, and, in the ordinary 
course of things, when these are wanted 
for use, the collector will then put them 
in order. Why not do so at once ? 
Always be beforehand with your work ; 
what you want in March, get ready in 
February; always be looking a-head. 
We don’t suppose we can impress 
these virtues upon everybody (just as 
we have long since despaired of in- 
ducing some people to be punctual), 
but perhaps some will profit by our 
hints, just as we have ourselves often 
profited by words of advice casually 
dropped from others. 
Of course a large majority of our 
readers have turned over a new leaf 
. and begun to keep Diaries, hut though 
the book has been procured and the 
eleven columns ruled, as yet probably 
there are no entries. Three months 
hence, in many instances, these diaries 
will have got put away and forgotten : 
strange that our best intentions fade 
away so rapidly! 
Setting-boards, breeding -cages and 
diary all in order; what more to be 
done? Are your store-boxes well sup- 
plied with camphor? for we don’t wish 
the good things our readers will send 
us six months hence to be half-eaten 
before they come. The camphor won’t 
evaporate between now and March, and 
you will be catching insects before the 
20th of March, and placing them in 
the store-boxes. Was not last year’s 
net worn out? Do you not want a 
new one? It looks sadly out of place 
to see a tattered old net going out on 
a fine spring day ; but many will have 
forgotten to think about the state of 
the net till the loss of a good insect, 
through some horrid rent, makes them 
resolve, when the year is rather further 
advanced, — mem. to make a new net. 
Then have you determined on any 
spScialile for the coming year? if so 
read up the subject; if you have not, 
books yourself, perhaps some friend can 
lend you some, or you belong to some 
local Entomological Society which is 
u 
