8 AN ADDRESS TO 



of the species when at large, in order to be able by analogy 

 to trace with what other species it has affinity. He who aims 

 to be a good Entomologist will also not omit to pay his re- 

 spects to " Flora," for most insects being vegetable feeders, 

 an acquaintance with Botany is very essential. Now Bo- 

 tanists are a much more numerous class than Entomologists, 

 and the pursuit is one looked generally on with more respect; 

 but inasmuch as insects are endued with volition and powers 

 of locomotion, they claim a higher place than plants in the 

 kingdom of Nature, and those who make their study the re- 

 creation of their lives will continuously reap benefits from it, 

 which at first they little anticipated. 



And in the first place they will soon discover practically 

 the littleness of their knowledge, — and what more conducive 

 to check presumption or conceit ? he who penetrates but a 

 little depth below the surface of any one branch of science, 

 soon finds before him numerous facts and ideas of which, 

 before he penetrated to this extent, he had no conception ; 

 reasoning therefore by analogy he concludes that all other 

 branches of science are equally pregnant with interesting 

 results to reward the active investigator. Perhaps he had 

 nearly begun to conclude that he knew (l pretty nearly every 

 thing :" now he finds that even in this one branch of science 

 what he does not know is infinitely more than what he does 

 know, so that he will feel inclined to exclaim with a cele- 

 brated living Entomologist* — 



" If Entomology became any one's daily and favourite 

 occupation, there would be matter enough for observation, 

 investigation, correction and discoveries for centuries of years, 

 without the least sensible exhausting of the object," — and 

 if Nature herself is thus infinite, what must be her Creator! 



* Herr C. A. Dohrn, President of the Entomological Society of 

 Stettin. 



