OX THE OBJECTS OF A COLLECTION OF INSECTS. 121 



It must, however, be remembered that such reasoning 

 assumes as an undoubted fact that each species had a single 

 centre of creation from which it has radiated. But, although 

 Professor Forbes takes this for granted, it has confessedly 

 never been proved, and is one of those difficult questions, 

 which, while they add so much to the interest of natural 

 history exclude it from among the number of the exact 

 sciences. 



Some, perhaps, of those who read the preceding remarks 

 will ask, What is the use of Entomology ? These I would ask 

 to consider what they mean by use ; they will, I think, find, 

 though they may not like to confess it, that their idea of a 

 useful thing is, — a thing which can be turned into money. 

 But money itself is only valuable in as far as it contributes 

 to happiness, whether bodily or mental ; and even if the 

 tendency to health, which is given by the regular habits, 

 temperance and industry, without which no one can be an 

 Entomologist, are to be considered of no value ; still the 

 constant interest without anxiety or disappointment, the 

 gentle exertion without overstraining the mind, and the 

 contemplation of the universal beneficence of the Creator 

 even towards the smallest of his creatures, can hardly fail 

 to bring a peaceful happiness to the mind which none but a 

 philosopher can appreciate, and even he cannot describe. 

 If indeed he could, there would be scarcely any that were 

 not Naturalists, instead of so few that are. 



If this argument be not enough, I will conclude with a 

 short sentence from one of our greatest philosophers: 

 " Whatever it has been worth God's while to create, it 

 must be worth man's while to study." 



1856 



