INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 

 the penetrating genius of Linneus, enabled him, 

 in the later editions of his Systema Nature, to 

 arrange the insects he described as nearly as possible 

 according to the natural system. A few genera, 

 perhaps, in the Hemiptera and Aptera classes, may 

 be placed in a wrong one ; but these, compared 

 with others which are stationed in the situation, 

 as to class at least, in which nature has placed 

 them, are but few. Where then is the force of 

 the objection of Fabricius to Linneus, that " nimis 

 naturam sequens, scepius amisit systema{e) ?" The 

 end of all artificial systems is solely to facilitate the 

 study of nature, and to prepare the way for the 

 discovery of that which is natural ; which, as Lin- 

 neus justly terms it, is the primum et ultimum{f). 

 Therefore, when we have a system that for the 

 most part harmonizes with nature, is such an ob- 

 jection to be raised against the illustrious author 

 of it ? And are we to be told, with respect to 

 natural classes, "• that the proper time to elaborate 

 them is not yet arrived, since we are as yet but 

 tyros in the science (g) ?" To hear this author 

 speak of the Linnean system, one would suppose 

 that entomology, instead of being under any obliga- 

 tion to it, had received great injury from it, and that 



(e) Philos. Ent. c. vii. § 2. (/) Philos. Bot. § 77. 



{g) Naturales existere iiisectorum classes vix duhitandum. 

 Suadent ratio, detecta, olservala. At noudinn tempus est eas 

 elahorare, quum tyrones adkuc sdentice simus. Philos. Ent. 

 c. vi. § 7. 



B 3 he 



