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ON THE 



OBJECTS OF A COLLECTION OF INSECTS. 

 By John Lubbock. 



The present has been called the age of insects ; this century 

 at least might be called the age of collections of insects, and 

 not of insects only, for we have collections of almost every- 

 thing, of shells and stuffed birds, of ferns and flowers, of 

 grasses and coins, of autographs and old china, of Assyrian 

 marbles and even of postage stamps. Mr. Darwin once ex- 

 pressed to me his surprise that he had never met with any 

 one who collected odd-shaped biscuits ; and though the idea 

 seems at first sight quite ludicrous, yet a collection of the 

 biscuits of different nations would possess many more points 

 of interest than can be found in postage stamps. I do not 

 wish to underrate collections. I am quite aware that without 

 them, there could be no more Entomology, than there could 

 be science without books ; but, on the other hand, a collection 

 of insects which is not studied is of as little real use as books 

 which are not read. 



I do not think these remarks will be considered uncalled 

 for ; undoubtedly the popular idea of an Entomologist is a 

 person who collects and not one who studies insects. Indeed 

 few seem to consider that there can be anything to study 

 in these little animals. A small Geneva watch is considered 

 interesting, because the machinery is so delicate ; but what 

 shall we say then of a beetle, which, though no larger than 



