On the Study of Natural History. 89 



nating in the depredations of the insect world, takes place ; that 

 the labours of the farmer, and the hopes of the planter, are con- 

 tinually destroyed by these minute and subtle enemies ; and that 

 a local scarcity, and often individual ruin, is generally the result. 

 With these evils upon record, and continually coming under our 

 notice, in one form or other, every year, any one would fancy 

 that that portion of natural history, at least, which related to 

 agriculture, planting, and gardening, had been well studied ; 

 that books had been written upon the subject ; that the history 

 and economy of all these insects had been well investigated, and 

 that effectual means had been pointed out for counteracting their 

 injuries. But what is the true state of the case ? Incredible as 

 it may appear, this subject has been almost neglected. No book 

 professing to give the agriculturist a right knowledge of the 

 animals useful or injurious to his labours, exists in our lan- 

 guage. By what unaccountable chance the various agricultural 

 societies have overlooked this matter I know not, nor is it my 

 present intention to inquire. This, however, may be safely 

 asserted, that it deserves to be made the subject of contention 

 for the greatest prize they have it in their power to bestow. That 

 I may not be supposed to attach to this part of natural history 

 more importance than it really deserves, I shall merely refer the 

 reader to several facts noticed by Mr. Kirby in his Introduction 

 to Entomology, vol. i. letter 6. But for the good sense of 

 government, in calling in the aid of the most consummate natu- 

 ralist in Europe, every elm tree in the royal parks round Lon- 

 don would, before this time, have been destroyed*. Fortu- 

 nately, in this latter case, the nature of the injury, and the whole 

 economy of the insect, could be studied on the spot. But it 

 generally happens, that when a naturalist is applied to for in- 

 formation on such points by those who are the immediate suf- 

 ferers, and he begins to put questions which can alone enable 

 him to form any opinion, he can seldom make out whether the 

 insect is a beetle, a fly, or a moth. He is told, " it may have 

 only two wings, or perhaps four ;" — or " it looks like a grub.'' 

 If we turn again to books on gardening, how vague, and some- 

 times how absurd, are the general directions for preserving fruit 



* See Mr. W. S. M'Leay's paper ** On the Insect which has destroyed 

 the Elms in St. James's and Hyde Parks," in Edinb. Ph. Journal, No.'20. 



