Vlll PREFACE. 



the descendants inevitably resume the economy of the 

 ancestor. 



The merit that attaches to the discovery of such facts 

 is due merely to patience and diligence, very common 

 attributes ; and the repeated mention of the supposed 

 first observer must, necessarily, in a work of this kind, 

 which is far from being of a strictly scientific cha- 

 racter, diminish the interest of the narrative by in- 

 terrupting its connection, and thus making it an incon- 

 gruous mosaic. The omission to cite authorities may 

 also take place without any wish to detract from the 

 merit of the discoverer, which is patent to all by his own 

 record in the archives of science. 



Before concluding, I wish to express my best thanks 

 to Thomas Desvignes, Esq., for the kindness and willing- 

 ness with which he lent me, for the purposes of this 

 work, my own selection from the Eees of his choice col- 

 lection of British insects. 



I now dismiss the book truly a labour of love 

 with the hope that it will fall into the possession of 

 many, who may be sufficiently interested in the subject 

 to induce them to become ardent entomologists, by 

 showing them within how small a compass much agree- 

 able instruction lies. 



June, 1866. 



