IV PREFACE. 



Department of the British Museum; and the Coleoptera, 

 which have been most carefully elaborated by Mr. Janson, 

 to a degree which has elicited the warm admiration of such 

 celebrated Coleopterists as Mr. Waterhouse and Mr. Wol- 

 laston. In future years I hope to be able, as a greater 

 amount of talent becomes attracted to the ample field of 

 Entomology, to introduce gradually other orders of insects, 

 till ultimately the entire cycle of Entomology may be com- 

 prised within this portable little book. 



Whenever the amount of scientific matter for the Annual 

 is sufficiently limited, to allow of chapters of an amusing 

 nature, relating to Entomology, being introduced, I shall 

 certainly not fail to avail myself of the opportunity of 

 adding some "dulce" to the " utile," satisfied that thereby 

 the usefulness of the work will in reality be increased. Many 

 who would hesitate to get the Annual, if all dry and scientific, 

 may be tempted by such amusing chapters, and so be gradu- 

 ally induced to become readers of the more scientific parts, 

 whereas it might otherwise only be sought after by those 

 well advanced in Entomology, and therefore less in need 

 of it. 



In preparing the Second Edition, I found myself able to 

 expand the volume a little, and have therefore introduced 

 "An Address to young Entomologists at Eton, Harrow, 

 Winchester, Rugby, and at all other Schools," and "In- 

 structions in collecting and preserving Lepidoptera and 

 Coleoptera" which will, I hope, be found useful to those for 

 whose benefit they are intended. I hope that this increase 

 in the size of this edition will not render the purchasers 

 of the first edition dissatisfied with their bargain ; as these 

 chapters are quite elementary, they are comparatively useless 



