PREFACE. Xlt 



than her fondness for collecting insects^, and Ray 

 had to appear at Exeter on the trial as a witness 

 of her sanity*, yet nothing les^ than line upon 

 line can be expected to eradicate the deep-rooted 

 prejudices which prevail on this subject. " Old 

 impressions/' as Reaumur has well observed, ''are 

 with difficult}' effaced. They are weakened, they 

 appear unjust even to those who feel them, at the 

 moment they are attacked by arguments which 

 are unanswerable; but the next instant the proofs 

 are forgotten, and the perverse association resumes 

 its empire." 



The authors do not know that any curiosity 

 >vill be excited to ascertain what share has been 

 contributed to the work by each of them ; but if 

 there should, it is a curiosity they must be ex- 

 cused from gratifying. United in the bonds of a 

 friendship, which, though they have to thank 

 Entomology for giving birth to it, is founded 

 upon a more solid basis than mere community of 

 scientific pursuits, they wish that, whether blame 

 or praise is the fate of their labours, it may be 

 jointly awarded. All that they think necessary to 

 state is, that the composition of each of the dif- 

 ferent departments of the work has been, as 



* See Harris's Aurelian under Papilio Cinxia. 



