128 
Psyche 
[June 
Suggestions Regarding the Use of Types 
Two practices now exist in the preservation and use of 
type specimens which make the work of the taxonomist 
who attempts any sort of a monographic revision much 
too difficult and expensive. Inasmuch as careful, accurate, 
analytical, monographic work is more needed in entomologi- 
cal taxonomy today than ever before, the modification of 
these practices in such a way as to remove the difficulties 
would have the effect of encouraging that type of work. 
These two practices are: (1) the policy of never loaning 
types from public museums under any circumstances; and 
(2) the practice of individual taxonomists in retaining holo- 
types in their private collections. 
When any taxonomist undertakes the study of any limited 
group of insects, he usually finds that the holotypes are 
scattered over the earth among various institutions and 
individuals. In order to examine these holotypes it is 
necessary under present conditions to expend large amounts 
of money and time traveling to and from all of these places 
in order to accomplish the work. It frequently happens that 
the individual has neither the funds nor the time at his 
disposal to undertake the study of the types, and the result 
is that he produces either a distinctly inferior piece of work 
than that of which he is capable, or he produces nothing at 
all. The types are indispensable and should be religiously 
preserved, but we surely ought to be able to find some way 
to modify the present practice in order to make it possible 
for a deserving taxonomist to study the holotypes concerned 
in his work without forcing him to incur impossible bur- 
dens of expense and time which are now necessary. No 
changes in the policy of handling types should be made 
without due consideration of all the possible consequences, 
but there must be some way in which these difficulties could 
be overcome. Possibly some system of interinstitutional 
loans might be devised whereby the necessary type material 
could be concentrated at some institution near the worker 
concerned, and the latter be allowed to work there under 
proper supervision. There may be other possibilities in 
the way of solutions of this problem, but it is a serious 
enough one to challenge the best thought of all concerned. 
