17 



the purpose of stealing houey was then known. He uses the 

 Linnpean names, but does not appear to follow any distinct 

 order. 



And here it will be necessary to introduce the greatest 

 naturalist the world has ever been graced with, the immortal 

 Karl Linne Linnaeus. This illustrious philosopher came into 

 the world on the 24th of May. 1707, in Sweden, and was a 

 born naturalist. To him we owe the arrangement of the 

 animal kingdom, which has been preserved ever since. His 

 first edition of " Si/sfewa Xahiro'" was published in 1735, 

 which quickly ran through a number of editions, the twelfth 

 being published in 1766. Before his time names were given, 

 indiscriminately, and it was no uncommon thing to call a 

 butterfly by its description, the Black-veined White Butterfly 

 being styled I'apilio albits venis nif/n's. Linujeus devised a 

 system of nomenclature that needed but tAvo words for each 

 species, the generic and specific names. The twelfth edition 

 of this great work was decided upon for the starting point of 

 nomenclature, which is upheld by the laws of Priority. 



In 1781 James Barbnt published "The Genera 

 Insertonim of Linmvmt, (.'.n-mjMfied hii rations xperimfna of 

 English Inserts, Jrairn from Xatnre." This book appears to 

 be but little known. I am indebted to the Rev. Charles 

 Dowding for drawing my attention to it, and lending me the 

 copy exhibited to-night. The work is written in parallel 

 columns of English and French. There is a long list of 

 subscribers, which include names from both nations. Besides 

 several titled people, there is also "Joseph Banks, Esq., 

 President of the Royal Society.' The plates are hand 

 coloured, and the illustrations of the so-called neglected 

 orders are, as far as I can judge, really good, but the single 

 plate devoted to Lepidoptera is poor in the extreme, the 

 colouring being wretchedly bad. The author, in a quaint 

 preface, in which he occasionally breaks off into ecstasies 

 over some point, seems to have been finnly convinced 

 that insects are endowed with the same senses as mankind, 

 and goes to great lengths to prove his theory. He states it 



