460 ' Stephens's British Entomology. 



Staphylinus, which she fearlessly seized, and did not quit her 

 hold, though the insect grasped one of her fingers in his for- 

 midable jaws. The mother, who was by, knew enough of the 

 insect to be rather alarmed for the consequences, though she 

 prudently concealed her feelings from the child. She did well ; 

 for the insect was not strong enough to break the skin, and the 

 child took no notice of his attempts to bite her finger. A whole 

 series of disagreeable associations with this formidable-looking 

 family of insects was in this manner averted, at the very moment 

 when a different mode of acting on the part of the mother would 

 have produced the first link of the chain. For more than two 

 years after this occurrence, this little girl and her brother as- 

 sisted in adding numerous specimens of insects to their father's 

 collection, without the parents ever having had cause, from any 

 accident, to repent of their employing themselves in this man- 

 ner. The sequel of the little girl's history strikingly illustrates 

 the position for which we contend. Family embarrassments 

 rendered it expedient for the child to be sent to a relative in 

 the country, where she was not long of having carefully in- 

 stilled into her mind all the usual antipathies against "every 

 thing that creepeth upon the earth ; " and though she after- 

 wards returned to her paternal home, no persuasion nor remon- 

 strance could ever again persuade her to touch a common 

 beetle, much less a Staphylinus, with its tail turned up in a 

 threatening attitude, and its formidable jaws ready for attack 

 or defence. 



But while we contend for the advantages in point of plea- 

 sure alone, though science be left out of our consideration, we 

 would not be understood as carrying the matter to extremes. 

 Our meaning is, that while children are taught to look upon 

 all insects as objects of interesting observation, they ought, at 

 the same time, to be carefully warned of those which may do 

 them injury, such as bees, wasps, and ants, and among the 

 beetles, the male stag-beetle (Zyucanus cervus), whose bite, or 

 rather pinch, is not a little painful. Nothing, however, can be 

 more absurd, than the fear universally entertained in England 

 of the larger sorts of dragon-flies (Libellulidae), which are 

 branded with the erroneous name of horse-stingers^ though the 

 most superficial examination will demonstrate that these insects 

 have not a shadow of a sting: but their jaws are large and 

 strong ; not stronger, however, than those of the Staphylinus 

 above mentioned, and of course not dangerous in the slightest 

 degree, even to infants. 



Holding these views to be important, in reference to early 

 education and to the multiplying of the pleasures of youth, 

 manhood, and old age, we cannot but cordially hail the pub- 



