OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 47 



to profit from the discoveries of their philosophers; 

 the labours of a Michaelis being a sealed book to our 

 theologists, and those of La Place to our astronomers. 

 On tliis supposition, would not one of the most import- 

 ant literary undertakings be tlie compilation of more 

 perfect dictionaries, and would not the humblest con- 

 tributor to such an end be deemed most meritoriously 

 engaged? Now precisely what an accurate dictionary 

 of a particular language is towards enabling the world 

 to participate in the discoveries published in that lan- 

 guage, is a system of Entomology towards enabling 

 mankind to derive advantage from any discoveries re- 

 lative to insects. A good system of insects containing 

 all the known species, arranged in appropriate genera, 

 families, orders, and classes, is in fact a dictionary, 

 putting it within our power to ascertain the name of 

 any given insect, and tlius to learn v. hat has been ob- 

 served respecting its properties and history as readily 

 as we determine the meaning of a new word in a lexi- 

 con. In order to impress upon you more forcildy the 

 absolute need of such a system, 1 must enter into still 

 further detail. 



There is scarcely a country in whicli several thou- 

 sand insects may not be found. Now, without some 

 scientific arrangement, how is the observer of a new 

 feet respecting any one of them, to point Oi;t to distant 

 countries and to posterity the particular insect he had 

 in view ? Suppose an observer in England were to find 

 a certain beetle which he had demonstrated to be a 

 specific for consumption ; and that it was necessary 

 that this insect, which there was reason to believe was 

 common in every part of the world, should be adaii- 



