of the Study of Entomology. 41 



able, each seeing to what especial point his attention should be 

 directed. 



If, instead of pursuing the course here pointed out, each indi- 

 vidual were to content himself with a general information on a 

 variety of subjects, it would be utterly impossible to make any 

 real progress, for each observation that happened to be made 

 would be comparatively useless, there being no one to whom to 

 refer, in order to ascertain whether it was of any value or not. 

 When this is borne in mind it can hardly excite our wonder that 

 Entomology should hitherto have progressed with such painful 

 slowness, and it may indeed cause surprise that so much time 

 should have been spent in elaborating theories, whilst a collection 

 oi" facts on which alone theories ought to have been founded was 

 disregarded. 



The first step in the progress of our investigations in any 

 branch of our science is to draw a line of demarcation between 

 what is known and what is not known. 



The student who is earnestly at work will never be anxious 

 that any discoveries he may make should be especially recorded 

 as his discoveries ; his object is that all new discoveries be 

 recorded and made generally available, not for the enhancement 

 of his own honour, but for the furtherance of science ; for however 

 numerous may be the new observations he may make, or the con- 

 necting links in the arrangement of groups which he may be the 

 first to seize, he will bear in mind that his talents of observation 

 and perception are but given to him for a definite purpose, and he 

 cannot but remember the inquiry — 



" What hast thou, that thou did'st not receive ? 

 Now if thou did'st receive it, why boastest thou 

 Thyself, as though thou had'st not received it 1" 



The earnest and truth-seeking student will never cavil at another 

 for reproducing his ideas, even if he do so without acknowledg- 

 ment ; a third party might make such complaint with a good 

 grace, but never the individual supposed to be aggrieved. To 

 complain querulously that another has published his ideas, would 

 lead one strongly to infer that he did not pursue science for its 

 own sake, but for the sake of some honour or distinction it might 

 confer. 



And the student who enters upon a long course of investiga- 

 tions will not be disheartened or dismayed by the reflection that 

 in all probability he will never live to complete them ; his object 

 is to be " doing something," whether he ever bring that which he 



