62$ Westswood *s Modern Classification of Insects. 



Swede, with tolerable accuracy, yet when we have done so, 

 we have gained all the knowledge to be derived from the 

 1 Systema Naturae,' — which at best was but a catalogue, in 

 which the different species were arranged with skill, but in 

 as artificial a manner as could be desired. Fabricius, the 

 great disciple of Linnaeus, left the science in an equally arti- 

 ficial, but far more difficult state than in the time of his mas- 

 ter ; for having divided the great Linnaean genera into many 

 groups which he regarded as equally entitled to generic dis- 

 tinction, he distributed them, if not at random, certainly 

 without much regard to their true relations. Thus while most 

 of the Linnaean Scarabcei are placed at the head of his Eleuthe- 

 rata, Trichius and Cetonia come nearly at the end. Further, 

 all these dismembered groups presented no indication of be- 

 longing to the great groups from which they had been 

 removed, and thus Trichius and Cetonia^ for example, were 

 each regarded as of equal rank with Buprestis and Cicindela. 



Modern entomologists, on the other hand, with Latreille at 

 their head, have endeavoured to render the science more in 

 accordance with nature, — in the first place by establishing 

 " Families naturelles " for the reception of the various dis- 

 membered groups formed by Fabricius and others ; and in 

 the second place by investigating the relations existing be- 

 tween these various families, with the view to their arrange- 

 ment in a more natural manner than they were left by Fabri- 

 cius, &c. The latter part of their endeavours has rendered 

 requisite a careful investigation of the general structure of the 

 various species, not only in its perfect, but also in its prepa- 

 ratory states. 



The subject is, however, so vast, owing to the immense 

 number of species, and the difficulty of examining the more 

 minute kinds, that hitherto but little progress has been made. 

 The knowledge of the larvae and pupce of insects, (at length 

 acknowledged to be of primary importance in establishing a 

 natural system), has been so much neglected, as well as the 

 investigation of the habits and natural economy of the differ- 

 ent species, that we cannot but think that Mr. Westwood has 

 acted judiciously in calling his work an 'Introduction to the 

 Modern Classification of Insects,' of which we now proceed 

 to lay a short notice before our readers. 



The work commences with observations upon insects in 

 general, in which the views of recent authors on the extent 

 of the class Insecta are discussed, and the following charac- 

 ters given of the group as intended to be treated upon by the 

 author. — "Annulose animals breathing by trachew, having 

 the head distinct, and provided in the adult state with six ar- 



