﻿Vm PREFACE. 



confinement ; damp, darkness, and quiet being neces- 

 sities for their development. Neither do they, like bees, 

 ants, etc., exhibit any wonderful instincts in their per- 

 fect state : so that little remains to notice beyond their 

 actual structure ; which is, luckily, so varied and adapted 

 to their numerous ways and means of life as to afford a 

 never-ending subject for discovery, instruction, and de- 

 light. Here, however, we are met by fresh difficulties 

 in the path of investigation ; since the two points of 

 size and colour, — usually of primary importance to be- 

 ginners in any study of natural objects, — are of less help 

 than usual in the Order Coleoptera, owing to their fre- 

 quent instability ; and the detail of minute differences 

 necessitates the use of peculiar terms, incapable of con- 

 version into " plain English." 



Nevertheless, the field for observation is so exten- 

 sive, — the cost of implements so small, — the collection 

 of material alike so easy and so conducive to health, — 

 and the material itself so readily manipulated (owing to 

 the hard integuments of most species of beetles), and 

 affording scope for so many interesting observations, — 

 that few who have commenced can abandon the pleasing 

 labour. 



The student desiring further acquaintance with the 

 principles of classification, etc, (too generally neglected 



