280 THOUGHTS ON THE 



of these necessary to assist the more scientific in completing 

 the great fabric of the system of nature, and in giving accuracy 

 and uniformity to its nomenclature? 



Where insects are plentiful, the naturalist, I imagine, will 

 experience less difficulty in ascertaining their habits and 

 economy ; but how is this interesting knowledge to be acquired 

 if we continue to disguise their habitats ? On the contrary, 

 by publishing them we diffuse a more intimate knowledge of 

 our indigenous productions, we give our brother entomologists 

 the power of enriching their own cabinets, and we increase 

 their enjoyments in the anticipation of the pleasure of supplying 

 their friends with desiderata. Will it not have a tendency to 

 surpress or discourage that dealing spirit, and all its degrading 

 accompaniments ? to shame and expose that petty, sordid 

 selfishness of exulting in public or in private, like the miserable 

 miser over his useless gold, in being the possessor of a series 

 of insects of which others have not a specimen ? Persons 

 who do this are, in my opinion, ignorant in the extreme, and 

 totally insensible to the best pleasures of science. " The 

 happy influence of the study of nature is only felt by a i'ew, 

 giving more ardour to sentiment, more elevation to the 

 thoughts, and more benevolence to the disposition." 

 I am. Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



John Walton. 



B yard's Lodge, Knarenbro ', Yorkshire, 

 June 3, 1834. 



Art. XXVI. — Thoughts on the Geographical Distribution 

 of Insects. — By Delta. 



(Continued from p. 54.) 



The Entomologist, who feels interested in studying those 

 laws which regulate the distribution of genera and species over 

 the surface of the earth, will carefully observe, as far as he is 

 able, the mean annual temperature, the mean summer and 

 mean winter temperature, the elevation, the latitude and lon- 

 gitude, of the places where he may collect. He will remember, 

 that it is not the mean annual temperature alone that influences 



