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lEconomic lEntomoloo^. 



Presidential Address to the Highbury Microscopical 

 Society, by James A. Forster. 



I PROPOSE in the following paper to give, in the simplest 

 language, some few facts and observations illustrating what I 

 would venture to term " Economic Entomology," and which 

 I would describe as the natural history of the insect friends and 

 foes of the gardener and agriculturist. 



The importance of the study of Economic Entomology is, I 

 think, very generally much underrated. The entomologist is too 

 often regarded with a sort of mild scorn as a man who pokes 

 about in odd places and who finds his pleasure in childish 

 pursuits, or as an enthusiast wasting his time over very insignifi- 

 cant things and claiming for them a preposterous importance — in 

 fact, as an example of the old adage that " Small things amuse 

 small minds." This, I hold, is not even just to the mere collector, 

 but when applied to a true student of insect life is simply an 

 opinion born of ignorance. Small in size, indeed, are the animals 

 he studies, but their importance in the economy of nature is very 

 great and the study of their lives a most difficult one, requiring a 

 highly-trained observation, unlimited patience, unflagging zeal, 

 and in addition to these, a humble reverence for Nature ; for to the 

 arrogant and careless she will never tell her tale or disclose her 

 secrets. To the insect world we owe our most beautiful dresses, 

 famous and much-esteemed food, and some of our loveliest 

 flowers. On the other hand, some of our direst misfortunes have 

 been occasioned by insects, countries have been devastated by 

 them, nations reduced to the verge of starvation, travelling ren- 

 dered impossible, flocks annihilated. Surely the study of 

 creatures capable of affording us such benefits and of inflicting 

 such miseries cannot in any sense be deemed futile, simply 

 because they are, for the most part, small in size and insignificant 

 in appearance. Insignificant are they only to our unaided human 

 eyesight. Bring the microscope to our aid, and away vanishes 

 their insignificance, and they stand out revealed in all their 



