116 OUR ZOOLOGICAL ANCESTORS. 



the early ideas of the cause of apterous females in a moth, which Lister in 

 the preceding page calls "a monster in nature, such as the birth of a bird 

 would be without wings." 



We have thus endeavoured to give some slight idea of the labours of 

 Goedart in the field of entomology, deeming it unnecessary to enter into 

 more details. In estimating his merits as a naturalist, we must consider 

 rather the difficulties under which he laboured than the amount of scientific 

 information which he gave to the world. Forty years of his life he spent 

 in investigating the insect tribes, as we are informed; and yet how little 

 apparent progress he made his little volumes show. But, when viewed in 

 another light, the benefits he conferred on entomology were not small; and 

 the history of his experiments must ever remain valuable, as being the result 

 of observation and careful inquiry, despite the errors into which he was 

 occasionally led. Facts were what he sought; and we in vain look for the 

 useless hypotheses and ignorant deductions so frequently indulged in by previous 

 writers. He had evidently no idea of system; the structure and affinities of 

 the objects of his research had apparently been a subject with him of little 

 interest. His little work, however, must always remain as a striking token 

 of advancement in the direction of truth — a forerunner to that era in 

 entomological science which was just commencing; and as such it will ever 

 be prized by the entomologist; for, though the investigations of our author 

 were far eclipsed in succeeding years by those of Swammerdara, Meriaii, and 

 Ray, yet his accurate delineations and remarks must have been valued by 

 them as at least a guiding-star to further observation and improvement. And 

 even in our own day, surely it is not too much to say that these volumes 

 may still be profitably consulted; for, though the materials were compiled 

 from observations made two hundred years ago, yet the same laws that 

 obtained in nature then still and must ever exist till the end of time; and 

 while we reflect on the information which we now possess on the economy 

 and transformations of the various tribes of the Annulosa, and the wide 

 field that still opens before us in this interesting department of natural science, 

 those who first devoted their mental energies to smooth the way for future 

 inquiry surely claim a double portion of our regard; and of all those names 

 in the early history of our science which it delights us to invest with many 

 pleasing associations, there is not one that affords us more satisfaction in 

 assigning an honourable position than that of Joannes Goedartius. 



S. Db V. 

 March 2dth., 1853. 



