There is a great lack of uniformity in labeling insects; owing to which it is often impossible to distinguish the name of the locality from that of the collector; and with reference to the date of capture, it is impossible to discover what is meant (when the day of capture is less than the 13th), on account of some collectors placing the day of the month first, and others the month.

For instance, a specimen taken on May 10, 1901, would by some be labeled 10, 5, 1901, and by others (chiefly amongst Americans) 5, 10, 1901. On passing from one collection to another, the recipient would be undecided as to whether the figures referred to May 10 or Oct. 5.

Again, now that exchange abroad is much more common than formerly, it is insufficient to give simply the village or wood in which the insect is taken.