2 THE PURSUIT OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



work he has obtained : this uncertainty increases his diffi- 

 culties considerably. Were he sure that the species was 

 figured or described in the work he is using, he could have 

 continued his investigations, determined to ascertain its 

 name ; but uncertain whether he be not, in fact, seeking that 

 which is not there, his search is necessarily carried on with 

 less vigour, and with less prospects of success. Every year 

 new species are being met with in this country, some totally 

 new to science ; some which, though common enough on the 

 Continent, had not previously been met with here. With the 

 increasing vigour with which Entomology is pursued — and 

 probably it has twice as many eager votaries as it had twenty 

 years ago — novelties, instead of being fewer in number, as 

 might be expected were the mine nearly exhausted, are 

 actually on the increase, and will probably so continue for 

 several years to come. Besides the species actually new to 

 us, many once of great rarity turn up in some locality in 

 great abundance, or as Sphinx Convohuli did, in 1846, 

 swarm throughout the country. It thus happens that our 

 tyro meets with some insect in great plenty, which his 

 "Index Entomologicus" mentions as "very rare;" and he 

 hastily concludes that he has had some wonderful luck, and 

 is inclined to boast of his captures, till some kind friend 

 informs him that " the insect is now so common, that no- 

 body thinks its capture worth mentioning:" whereat, though 

 he may thank his friend for his kindness, he nevertheless 

 feels a little annoyed — people do not like to discover that 

 their swans are only geese. 



The idea of the present work is to supply these two main 

 desiderata : to give systematically notices of all the new 

 species found in this country in the past year, and at the 

 same time to intimate which once rare species had been 

 taken in any plenty. In the present volume, so much space 

 being occupied by notices of the novelties since the last 



