REMARKS ON INSECTS. S^5 



thus taken with their persons, and buzz an angry rebuff, but they 

 soon see a joke is only to be smiled at, and push about in their 

 turns, till all enjoy the spirit-stirring exercise. For my own part 

 I know I have been more laughed at for attempting to carry off 

 part of the entrails of a mountain, than ever I expect to be from 

 the pursuit of entomology j and indeed, I must confess that I have 

 often wondered that some tenacious lord of a manor has not 

 prosecuted the geologist for purloining the stone from his quarries, 

 sometimes to no inconsiderable extent 5 while the most litigious 

 will scarcely object to the capture of an insect. 



In sober seriousness, however, if any one objects to entomology 

 as a frivolous pursuit, I at once unhesitatingly claim for it the 

 lowest and the highest position any science can aspire to, and if its 

 aspect satisfies us in both positions, there can be no fear that the 

 whole picture can be satisfactorily filled up. I then claim for 

 entomology the rank of an innocent and rational amusement. If 

 it were only this, if it merely afforded us pleasure amid scenes of 

 romantic beauty — rock, water, and wood — if it merely led us from 

 the tainted air of the pent-up city, to the breezy fragrance of the 

 heathy wild — if it merely whispered pleasure — that pleasure which 

 they only know who have found 



" Divine oblivion of low-thoughted care" 



in the contemplation of the wonders of creation — it would, only 

 thus constituted, be not without its use. It is, indeed, true, that 

 the objects contemplated by entomology, are, in general, minute j 

 but insects make up in numbers for their want of bulk 3 and when 

 the celebrated Dr. Edward Clarke, in his travels in the East, com- 

 plains that the king of the fleas kept his court at Tiberias, I dare 

 say he felt no wish for the increase of bulk of his skipping majesty. 

 In fact, we may resolve all questions of bulk into the shrewd and 

 sensible answer of the Spartan soldier, who when about to proceed 

 to battle, was reminded that he had no emblem on his brazen 

 buckler. But he pointed to a fly on the central boss, and informed 

 his friends that however they might ridicule the emblem he had 

 chosen, he should approach the enemy so near, that they would be 

 as sensible of his presence as if he bore a more formidable ensign 

 that might be known from a distance. So if any demur to the 

 minuteness of the objects contemplated by entomologists, we may 

 tell them to bring their eye to the microscope, and only approach 

 as near to the object of their research as the Spartan brought his 

 shield to the enemy, and if magnitude be their aim they need 

 not be disappointed. 



I shall not enter into any lengthened argument on the subject of 

 cruelty to insects, a point often needlessly insisted upon, since 

 their internal structure proves their obesity of feeling ; but I may 

 note a few examples of insect endurance and vitality. A drop of 

 Prussic acid, that would destroy a rabbit, has been put upon a fly, 

 who only suffered temporary inconvenience, and afterwards flew 



