Pit EI" ACE. XVll 



and alterations have suggested themselves ; and 

 thus they are persuaded it would be were they to 

 double the period of delay prescribed by Horace. 

 But Poetry and Natural History are on a different 

 footing ; and though an author can plead little 

 excuse for giving his verses to the world while 

 he sees it possible to polish them to higher ex- 

 cellence, the naturalist, if he wishes to promote 

 the extension of his science, must be content to 

 submit his performances to the public disfigured 

 by numerous imperfections. 



In the introductory letter several of the advan- 

 tages to be derived from the study of Entomology 

 are pointed out ; but there is one, which, though 

 it could not well have been insisted upon in that 

 place, is too important to be passed over without 

 notice — its value in the education of youth. 



All modern writers on this momentous subject 

 unite in recommending in this view, Natural Hi- 

 story : and if " the quality of accurate discrimi- 

 nation — the ready perception of resemblances 

 amongst diversities, and still more the quick and 

 accurate perception of diversity in the midst of 

 resemblances — constitutes one of the most im- 

 portant operations of the understanding ; if it be 

 indeed the foundation of clear ideas, and the 

 acquisition of whatever can be truly called know- 

 ledge depends most materially on the possession 

 of it :" — if " the best lo2:ic be that which teaches 



VOL. I. b 



