THE SUBSTITUTE; 
Or, Entomological Exchange Facilitator, and 
Entomologist’s Fire-side Companion. 
No. 3.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1856. [Price 2rf. 
BRITISH INSECTS. 
Most of our British entomolo- 
gists collect only British insects ; 
and this is frequently made a mat- 
ter of reproach against them. At 
home they are accused of a want 
of philosophy, and on the Conti- 
nent it is believed that a kind of 
patriotic feeling induces them to 
restrict their collections to the in- 
sects of their own country. There 
is possibly some truth in both of 
these allegations, but in the majo- 
rity of instances neither of them is 
true, the reason for the practice of 
English collectors being that they 
have neither time nor means to do 
otherwise. They have little time 
for collecting; frequently they are 
obliged to confine their attention 
to one Order, or even part of one, 
I or else they have no means of pro- 
viding accommodation for more 
I than a very limited number of 
specimens. This is true of the 
bulk ; the few exceptions must 
answer for themselves as to their 
I pseudo-patriotism, want of philo - 
' sophy, or whatever else may in- 
duce them not to extend their 
studies beyond the limits of this 
sea-girt isle. There exists against 
this exceptional class a cause of 
complaint of much greater im- 
portance to the mass of our col- 
lectors, namely, their practice of 
paying extravagant prices for 
British insects, simply because 
they are British, for not only is 
far more than the intrinsic value 
given, but a temptation is held 
out to pass off foreign specimens 
as British, and even to introduce, 
as natives, species which have no 
claim to be so reckoned, and thus 
the very principle of collecting 
only British insects is rendered 
nugatory. We say nothing about 
the spirit which prompts to the 
possession of rarities at any cost, 
so that the end be obtained of 
saying of any one of them, “it is 
in my collection.” Such a spirit 
has nothing to do with Science, 
nor is its possessor worthy to be 
reekoned among scientific men. 
As a principle there is no valid 
objection against buying English 
insects; indeed, without buying, 
there are many species that there 
is scarcely a chance of obtaining, 
but it would be better both for 
D 
