﻿144 
  

  

  were 
  given 
  of 
  any 
  paper 
  likely 
  to 
  excite 
  such 
  discussions 
  : 
  the 
  most 
  

   prosperous 
  of 
  all 
  our 
  Societies, 
  the 
  Royal 
  Geographical, 
  adopts 
  this 
  

   course; 
  and 
  1 
  have 
  actually 
  read 
  this 
  day 
  in 
  the 
  ' 
  Morning 
  Herald' 
  an 
  

   advertisement 
  of 
  the 
  papers 
  next 
  to 
  be 
  discussed 
  : 
  by 
  this 
  expedient 
  

   we 
  should 
  escape 
  both 
  objections 
  and 
  adhesions 
  carelessly 
  and 
  hastily 
  

   given, 
  and 
  out 
  of 
  our 
  abundant 
  printed 
  " 
  treasures, 
  things 
  new 
  and 
  , 
  

   old 
  might 
  be 
  brought 
  forth," 
  and 
  thus 
  much 
  additional 
  information 
  

   diffused 
  among 
  our 
  members 
  : 
  it 
  has 
  several 
  times 
  struck 
  me 
  as 
  some- 
  

   what 
  inconsistent 
  for 
  any 
  scientific 
  body 
  to 
  discuss, 
  as 
  new, 
  matters 
  

   which 
  have 
  long 
  since 
  been 
  carefully 
  investigated 
  by 
  our 
  predecessors. 
  

   But 
  these 
  remarks 
  do 
  not, 
  in 
  any 
  degree, 
  apply 
  to 
  the 
  mere 
  introduc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  papers 
  : 
  gladly 
  would 
  I 
  see 
  the 
  greatest 
  possible 
  encourage- 
  

   ment 
  given 
  to 
  such 
  introduction 
  ; 
  and 
  no 
  one 
  could 
  object 
  to 
  being 
  

   referred, 
  with 
  courtesy, 
  to 
  sources 
  whence 
  he 
  might 
  derive 
  more 
  per- 
  

   fect 
  information. 
  

  

  On 
  one 
  subject 
  I 
  venture 
  to 
  express 
  an 
  opinion 
  at 
  variance 
  with 
  

   what 
  appears 
  a 
  prescriptive 
  practice. 
  I 
  repeatedly 
  find 
  in 
  entomolo- 
  

   gical 
  works 
  the 
  indication 
  of 
  a 
  desire 
  to 
  depreciate 
  that 
  particular 
  

   branch 
  of 
  the 
  science 
  which 
  some 
  one 
  else 
  has 
  taken, 
  or 
  is 
  supposed 
  

   to 
  be 
  taking 
  up. 
  Such 
  terms 
  as 
  " 
  species-man," 
  " 
  mere 
  collector," 
  

   " 
  theorist," 
  and 
  many 
  others, 
  need 
  but 
  be 
  quoted 
  in 
  explanation 
  of 
  my 
  

   meaning. 
  Now 
  the 
  sentiment 
  implied 
  by 
  such 
  expressions 
  is 
  unphilo- 
  

   sophical 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  catholicity 
  of 
  science 
  ; 
  it 
  

   implies 
  that 
  we 
  are 
  drawing 
  a 
  comparison 
  between 
  ourselves 
  and 
  

   others 
  disadvantageous 
  to 
  those 
  others, 
  and 
  it 
  therefore 
  has 
  a 
  direct 
  

   tendency 
  to 
  foster, 
  if 
  not 
  to 
  create, 
  feelings 
  that 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  exist. 
  

   The 
  Lepidopterist, 
  the 
  Dipterist, 
  the 
  Hymenopterist, 
  or 
  Coleopterist 
  ; 
  

   the 
  systematist 
  or 
  the 
  utilitarian; 
  the 
  student 
  of 
  economy, 
  or 
  the 
  

   collector 
  ; 
  the 
  man, 
  in 
  fact, 
  who 
  selects, 
  of 
  his 
  free 
  choice, 
  his 
  own 
  

   particular, 
  favourite 
  objects 
  of 
  study, 
  and 
  yet 
  who 
  presumes 
  to 
  look 
  

   down 
  on 
  another 
  who 
  has 
  made 
  a 
  different 
  choice, 
  exhibits 
  a 
  want 
  

   of 
  that 
  philosophical 
  spirit 
  which 
  would 
  assure 
  him 
  that 
  all 
  these 
  

   work 
  together 
  harmoniously 
  for 
  the 
  general 
  good: 
  all 
  are 
  equally 
  

   striving 
  after 
  the 
  excelsior 
  of 
  the 
  poet 
  : 
  each 
  is 
  ascending, 
  after 
  his 
  

   own 
  fashion, 
  the 
  hill 
  of 
  science 
  : 
  and 
  not 
  only 
  must 
  he 
  have 
  perfect 
  

   liberty 
  to 
  select 
  his 
  own 
  path, 
  but, 
  if 
  he 
  be 
  only 
  industrious, 
  he 
  will 
  

   establish 
  an 
  indubitable 
  claim 
  to 
  the 
  merit 
  of 
  strewing 
  that 
  path 
  with 
  

   flowers 
  which 
  any 
  of 
  us 
  may 
  gather. 
  One 
  man 
  studies 
  an 
  insect 
  solely 
  

   with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  increase 
  its 
  pecuniary 
  benefit, 
  or 
  diminish 
  its 
  pecuniary 
  

   injury 
  to 
  man 
  ; 
  another 
  observes 
  the 
  bee 
  building 
  her 
  cells 
  and 
  stor- 
  

   ing 
  her 
  honey 
  simply 
  as 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  amusement 
  ; 
  a 
  third 
  watches 
  the 
  

  

  