June, '04] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



from some other one, of what use is either to those who must 

 use them in the advancement of knowledge ? The man who 

 crosses the bridge is not to blame if it proves inadequate for 

 the purpose for which it was constructed. He is simply striv- 

 ing to advance ; the structure does not meet the reqirement. 



The morphologist does not care who describes and names a 

 form ; whether he is old or young, rich or poor, a catholic, a 

 protestant or a jew ; what he wants is truth, and he is com- 

 pelled to have this before he can go on with his investigations. 

 The systematist who helps him is a benefactor, for he is reach- 

 ing out in every direction for assistance. 



Let me leturn to my illustration of the bridge. An army, 

 which you may term morphologists, if you choose, is encamped 

 on the bank of a river which it must cross before it can accom- 

 plish the end for which it was brought into existence. There 

 are no bridges and the flood is deep and the current swift. The 

 pioneer corps sets to work to construct the bridges, but the 

 engineers disagree as to the proper location, some claiming that 

 an old structure was reared a century or so before and the old 

 abutments are safe and should be utilized, while another fac- 

 tion disputes this and says the abutments have become unsafe, 

 and another location is preferable, while a third faction favors 

 a different structure, in a different place, each insisting that 

 they and they only are right. Construction begins, but the 

 builders disagree as to the method of doing the work and in 

 the material to be used ; one faction puts in place and another 

 pulls down ; sometimes one faction has one end of a girder or 

 timber and another faction has equally strong hold of the other 

 end and both pull in opposite directions. They sometimes 

 accuse each other of defects, both mental and moral, until the 

 morphologist becomes discouraged. You say that a good 

 commander would remove half of the corps and let the remain- 

 der proceed: but which half, please? The army wishes to 

 get across ; if the construction corps is weakened it will be long 

 delayed. Half the work being done is useless and half the 

 workers are simply in the way of the other half, while the 

 army is idle and, to an extent, helpless. 



Now, I have drawn you a picture. It is not a pleasant 

 one to look upon, but it is lifelike and up to date. Entomology 



