174 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 24, NO. 7-8, OCT.-NOV., 1922 



The Bullock and the Fly Thos. Moore; It's an 111 Wind Jas. J. Mont- 

 gomery; The Hive at Gettysburg J. G. Whittier. 



Since the present paper is supposed to be of entomological pur- 

 port, the insects of poetry will be discussed by ordinal arrange- 

 ment although no attempt has been made to arrange the orders 

 represented, in accordance with the usual sequence. 



All the larger orders of insects have been found represented 

 except those placed by recent systematists in the subclass 

 Neuropteroidea. These forms are recognized by poets in a 

 general way and referred to as "water flies," etc., but little or 

 nothing of a specific character is to be found which will permit 

 their identification. A sole exception seems to be this line from 

 Shelley: 



"Not a may-fly shall awaken, 

 From its crad'ling blue-bell shaken." 



And even in this, there is nothing to denote that the poet realizes 

 the entomological meaning of the term employed. 



Madison Cawein, in the "Old Snake Doctor," has spoiled a 

 perfectly good poem on the "ant-lion" by confusing the insect 

 with the dragon-fly, when he could instantly have settled his 

 doubts in the matter by referring to any good, general work on 

 natural history 



A few poets have endeavored to picture insect life at large and 

 one of these, Thomas Montgomery, has been remarkably suc- 

 cessful: 



"Then insect legions, pranked with gaudiest hues, 

 Pearl, gold, and purple, swarm'd into existence; 

 Minute and marvellous creations these! 

 Infinite multitudes on every leaf, 

 In every drop, by me discerned at pleasure, 

 Were yet too fine for unenlightened eye, 

 ****** 



Some barely visible, some proudly shone, 

 Like living jewels; some grotesque, uncouth, 

 And hideous giants of a race of pygmies 

 These burrow'd in the ground and fed on garbage, 

 Those lived deliciously on honey dews, 

 And dwelt in palaces of blossom'd bells; 

 Millions on millions, wing'd and plumed in front, 

 And armed with stings for vengeance or assault 

 Filled the dim atmosphere with hum and hurry. " 



-The Pelican Island. 



The ferocity of the spiders has attracted the attention of 

 many poets and their skill in weaving is a subject for frequent 

 comment. The most notable of the passages relating to the 

 former occur in the writings of James Thomson, John Phillips 



