OBSERVATIONS. 171 



give. Long ago we attempted to make something of an ento- 

 mologic collection were eager enough in pursuit too rude, 

 doubtless, in triumphant capture ; but when it came to the 

 cold-blooded business of impalement, the pin fell from our 

 grasp, and the prisoners regained their liberty. We were then 

 too happy in the bright buoyancy of our own spring-time to 

 bear to deprive one of them of an existence so much like our 

 own. Having grown, what some would call more callous, 

 others, less squeamish, we have, since, been the voluntary 

 agents of insect extinction, though only when absolutely 

 essential to the purposes of our pursuit. We have elsewhere 

 offered, as we hope, an ample defence for " our hobby ' on 

 this, its seemingly objectionable side ; but that defence was 

 addressed to the reason rather than the feelings, consequently 

 not to the very young. We would not even desire that the 

 very young should be permitted to begin the study of insects 

 by their collection, because the habit of destroying them might 

 assuredly tend to blunt the feelings before the acquirement oi 

 sufficient knowledge and reflection to counteract its influence. 

 But it is different as life advances : for ourselves, at least, we 

 can affirm safely that, though w r e do occasionally add a beetle 

 or a butterfly to our collection, the acquisition is always made 



V 



at the cost of a degree of not diminished pain, and we were 

 never so careful, as now, to avoid aught that may uselessly 

 injure or torment one of the insect crew. With a mere col- 

 lector for sale or exhibition the reverse of this may happen ; 



