218 
THE SUBSTITUTE. 
tbe circumstance or captured the 
insect, some friend who could ap- 
preciate its value might have been 
supplied with a new fact in insect- 
history or a new species. This 
sort of opportunity, we fancy, 
often happens, for a hunter after 
one Order or Division of insects 
frequents localities little or never 
visited by the collector of other 
insects, and so meets with rarities 
which he neither knows nor 
esteems. Of course it would be 
better that all collectors should 
have so much general knowledge 
as, without distracting their atten- 
tion from specialities, would en- 
able them to distinguish a fact or 
an insect if out of the common 
way ; but this is scarcely to be 
hoped for, and yet we are per- 
suaded that many a bit of know- 
ledge and many a good species 
may be picked up in a desultory 
way if collectors will keep their 
eyes and their hearts open. We 
once knew a collector of almost 
all Orders except Lepidoptera, but 
in the course of his wanderings he 
had casually pinned a dozen or 
two of small moths, and the ma- 
jority of these, upon examination 
by a competent person, proved to 
be great rarities. We have all 
read in last year’s ‘Annual’ how 
Trochilium Chrysidi/orme, raris- 
sima avis, was swept up by a Co- 
leopterist who did not know it nor 
want it, and yet did not throw it ^ 
away. Other similar instances are 
not wanting. But on the other 
hand, how many Coleoptera have 
been turned up by diggers for the 
pup® of Lepidoptera P how many 
rare beetles have come to the 
sugar baits of moth-catchers ? 
how many pupae of Lepidoptera 
have been found by hunters for 
beetles in moss ? how many para- 
sites have been reared from Lepi- 
dopterous larvae? and all lost to 
the respective parties they would 
have delighted and benefited. 
Captain Cox recently alluded 
to the mutual advantage entomo- 
logists are to each other, and has 
mentioned some of the above sub- 
jects. We agree that to a certain 
extent entomologists do assist each 
other, hut we wish to see the de- 
sire to benefit others in the way 
we have mentioned become more 
general, and we think well enough 
of the brotherhood to believe that 
a great many only require to have 
their attention called to the matter 
for them to practise it. 
There will be exceptions, no 
doubt — there are to the best of 
causes. Well, let Diogenes have 
his tub to himself, and let us not 
forget to stand out of his sun- 
shine : with other and better 
natures we may cultivate the en- 
tente cordiale, encouraged thereto, 
if need be, by knowing that it will 
be quite as much for our own 
benefit as theirs. 
