Insect Architecture. 4-3 



study of the less noble animals ; for there is in all natural 

 objects something to excite our admiration."* " I think," says 

 Paley, speaking of insects, " it is in this class of animals above 

 all others, especially when we take in the multitude of species 

 which the microscope discovers, that we are struck with what 

 Cicero has called ' the insatiable variety of nature.' "f " The 

 meanest creature is a collection of wonders."{ And again ; 

 " The hinges in the wings of an earwigs and the joints of its 

 antenna?, are as highly wrought as if the Creator had nothing 

 else to finish." § 8urely the instincts, habits, and manners of 

 insects, their " architectural " contrivances and singular 

 transformations, the infinite variety of their forms, the exact 

 mechanism and structure of their parts, and, in many cases, 

 their extraordinary brilliancy and beauty, are not less deserv- 

 ing some portion of our attention than the charms and won- 

 ders of Flora. H 



But, besides the false views above alluded to, as having 

 operated in no slight degree to the discouragement of ento- 

 mology as a general pursuit, the neglect we speak of might 

 also formerly, in part at least, be attributed to the want of 

 suitable books, to set people a going, as it were, on the sub- 

 ject. And it is in this respect, more especially, that the little 

 volume before us is peculiarly valuable, being calculated above 

 most that we have met with to render the study of insects 

 both accessible and attractive. With the assistance here 

 afforded, the student may at once set to work for himself. 

 He is sent, for example, to a bee's nest, an ant-hill, a spider's 

 web, or the like, to beh6ldwitjh his.owneyQS, and admire the 

 i]pianfl^f^,;9^'d'pp^trivaiices qf.tb^^^ 

 uiukr^.ft .kMtjgxiCOUi'se.. ofij^u^jfiQii§iirefliiii)^itiH**feaw<j^ jB&a^m^ 



, J\ " Quagr;fortas,^e a nonnullis potest^ Qijas papillosum ^g^^s§^ 

 ad brnatum TJniyersi, et ut homimbus spectaculq sijit : acL rUr^' j|li^str^4^ 

 yelut totj .bracteie inservientes. Quis en^n^^xiniiiim earuin pi4^|^'itii;c^pifl, 

 et^ Varictateni conteuiplans mira voluptatq nori affjcMi^ur V ,Q,ui^,to^| cplpflim 

 el; sch'einatum 'elegantias naturae ipsius ingenjo excbgitatas et api^fipCpen;- 

 cillo dcpictas curiosis oculis intuens, divinae artis vestigia eis inipressa non 

 agnoscat et miretur ?"-^i?(r«"i Histona Insectqrum, p. 109. " It may, pej^haps^ 

 be asl^ed by some,- Wl^^V^^ -^^ ^^^^ of butterflies ? ,1 answ(?r, tq adprn the 

 world, and afford inankiiKi an agreeable sight, serving like so many spangles 

 to decQrate the fields, i^oi* who can contemplate their exquisite beauty 

 and variety withput being touched with ^vonderful delight ? Who can 

 look with an attentive, eye qn the elegance of so inany colours anfl forms, 

 devised by the fancy and painted by the skilful pencil of Nature herself, 

 and not acknowledge and admire the traces of divine art .impressed upon 



