40 Insect Architecture, 



content ourselves, therefore, after having made a few general 

 remarks bearing upon the popular mode of studying natural 

 history, with giving, by way of specimen, such extracts as, 

 we trust, may induce our readers to have recourse to the book 

 itself, if indeed there be any of our readers, our insect-loving 

 readers, who are not already acquainted with it. 



It is with great satisfaction that we learn, on the authority 

 of Mr. Vigors *, the enormous extent to which this work has 

 been circulated, " Another striking feature in modern zoo- 

 logy," says Mr. Vigors, " is one to which I have already had 

 occasion to allude : the publication of popular treatises on 

 the subject. The extent to which some of the more valuable 

 of these productions have been lately circulated, — I shall 

 instance more particularly the Menageries and the volumes on 

 Insect Architecture, published under the superintendence of the 

 8ociety for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, — not only 

 proves the popularity of the science, but points out one of the 

 powerful causes that contribute to the cultivation of it. When 

 I mention to you that copies of these publications have been 

 disseminated by tens of thousands, you may calculate not 

 merely how many readers participate in the delights of the 

 study, but how many of them may be induced, from the 

 }ierusal, to become observers of nature, if not active coopera- 

 tors in the science." 



The time, we trust, is now gone by, or nearly so, when it 

 was necessary to enter upon a regular defence of any branch 

 of natural history, " Cui bono ?" however, is a question still 

 sometimes put to us; and the answer often given in reply, 

 though Jp^fectly-true knd just, as far as it goes, — and the one, 

 m<5rse<^€^, <tf>faiiboth€«^^, ^e>rhaps, - most likely 'to*' have .weight 

 witbJ!fti^fl»5?^te rm^h the (^aqiaii-^i, -wj^i^'yit, Uq IhinH' ii^ither 

 the'l^??/^lft6*/4:hJ|d*^/l ans^^^iri.'bf^ wMbh^'thiSf (questiotir admits. 

 Wh W'^a^dtitfe^ovf i€feiih^>fr P^N^iity^ ^f thd ^^W^f^ and demahded, 

 " Wh*ltMh@f»se (if hdturkl'histtiry^'^HHd s^u^enitis'sQ'^ 

 temj:^*yt0:i'^f^l^d'jMs ^lir^tiit'lbj^i^fefe^ri'fl^vJtO' its ^Mility as 

 corttl^t«tt^ltfefedihiwerG<&,'*tlle -artsi' * tnedicifie^ >and (domestic 

 eccbiath5fi fhJifetK^'^tliisJi^W ^utiliti/ of natural history is 



untlouirt^f Jtfasf^f b«<V We^httife,' the pursuit has other and 

 bett^r^MrM Ott^i0tir'4ttentioh. ^ Nor indeed, in point of feet, 

 does bare utility supply the -motive by which the generality 

 are actuated in tarking up the study. If it were asked, " V^hat 

 is the use of hunting, shooting, or fishing ? " no sportsman, we 

 apprehend, would think of answering, that it is in the one 



* See liis A<l:lres8 at the Anniversary Meeting of the Zoological Club, 

 Vol. 111. p. 22a. 



