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BUGS. 131 



the common name of Bug, and like those, are usually 

 treated as objects of disgust, or of fear. They are real 

 natural bug-bears to those unacquainted with their 

 character or history. 



The general deficiency in the knowledge of Natural 

 History, is however, the greatest bug-bear to me, and 

 I cannot but lament, seeing it in so many otherwise 

 well educated men and women, in the editors of some 

 of our distinguished journals, and in most of the trav- 

 ellers who are constantly publishing accounts of their 

 journeys in foreign lands. How much more rich, amus- 

 ing, interesting, and instructive, would these reports 

 be, if their writers could adorn their topographical de- 

 scriptions and special histories of foreign lands with 

 information concerning some curious beasts, birds, rep- 

 tiles, fish, insects, or plants, which they have accident- 

 ally met in their journeys. That lovely writer, Bayard 

 Taylor, in his beautiful letters published in the New 

 York Tribune, is perhaps, the only traveller who occa- 

 sionally enters the dominion of Zoology and Botany, 

 and thereby adorns his masterly compositions, written 

 with all the fiery imagination of an accomplished poet. 

 He has set an example to all travellers, by contribut- 

 ing in this manner, useful and important ornaments to 

 one of the most distinguished journals of America, the 

 New York Tribune ; distinguished for the instructive 

 matter it contains for all classes of men, for the litera- 



