CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 207 



other, and although the various advocates of each have in 

 set terms denounced the others ; yet the septenary system 

 is in perfect and exact accordance with each of them and 

 depends on them as the best tests whereby its truth may 

 be made manifest: for whether we avail ourselves of the 

 approved characters of metamorphosis, wings and mouth, or 

 draw up fresh characters from other prominent parts yet 

 untested, as the pro- meso- and metatJiorax, we shall find 

 the variations of each and all perfectly in accordance with 

 the septenary system : no arrangement dependent on me- 

 tamorphotic or structural variation can ever interfere with it. 



The position of Lepidoptera at the head of this system 

 is merely for the sake of convenience; the relative position 

 of the classes must be preserved, but they are supposed to 

 constitute a circle, no one point of the circumference of 

 which is superior to the rest. 



Besides these seven classes others under the name of 

 orders have been made out for the reception of single ge- 

 nera, as Sirex, Aphis, Forjlcula, Sialis, Coccus &c., and the 

 larger classes have occasionally been divided, without any 

 other apparent object than that of imposing new names. The 

 leading entomological writers of all ages, Aristotle, Linneus, 

 Fabricius, Latreille, Straus-Durckheim, Burmeister, &c., 

 &c., have preferred adhering as nearly as possible to the 

 most simple and obvious primary di^dsion of insects. The 

 last-named of these authors observes, " The subdivision of 

 insects into many orders, which the English are especially 

 fond of, certainly merits no recognition ; only where nature 

 has set true limits let them be divided, and let us not wilfully 

 destroy the beautiful picture of harmony she every where 

 presents us with." The scientific world seems to agree with 

 this dictum, for the new names of orders are veiy rarely 

 transplanted from the pages in which they originally saw 

 the light. 



