6 EPISODES. 



on its plan;" for under a hundred Protean forms, and almost 

 as many different names, had our intended work been floating 

 for months before our " mind's eye. ' Letters Sketches 

 Conversations, these were familiar shapes into which our 

 materials might be moulded ; but they seemed, in one sense, 

 too familiar ; the public taste might be tired of these hacknied 

 modes of dressing up the sister sciences. Besides, clothing 

 such as this, however light, would over-much confine us in 

 the very discursive rambles which we had thoughts of taking 

 amongst our creepers, and fliers, and swimmers. Episodes might 

 better serve our purpose, and impose fewer shackles on our 

 roving fancy : Episodes, then, they shall be called Episodes of 

 Insect Life, providing every month a seasonable admixture of 

 the Real and the Ideal. But to-morrow, and for a month to 

 come, what insects will be in season ? Of all the summer 

 myriads, the bulk have long ago expired ; the remnant, scared 

 even by the shadow of advancing winter, betook themselves 

 (o hidden places ; and now old Christmas has benumbed them 

 with his icy paw, and keeps them unconscious prisoners 

 within the earth or waters. 



We may still discourse, it is true, of torpid Bees, of sleeping 

 Ants, of buried Beetles, and a forlorn few of widowed Wasps, 

 stupified by grief or cold, sole relics of their perished race ; 

 but what a drowsy doleful prelude would this be to the cheerful 

 airs we woidd draw from the harp of nature. These insect 

 sleepers would furnish us, with themes of life in death, for in 



