Mr. Bicheno's Paper on Systems and Methods. 209 



sential to the use of genera, so as to deny the propriety of 

 their being subdivided ; and lastly, that so fur from your power 

 being thus destroyed when you wish to generalize, the genus 

 remains, although possibly under another name, a groupe as 

 much connected as before, and as much in your power for 

 further combination, or even in a greater degi'ee, inasmuch as 

 by the more accurate examination of it in the process of sub- 

 division, you must have become more definitely acquainted 

 with its external limits, and its interior typical qualities. 



Allow me here to ask two questions. First, Have you in 

 your voluminous investigation of genera never broken up a 

 Linnean genus ? Secondly, How is it that you, who object 

 to the combination of genera, should now complain of your 

 power over them being destroyed when you wish to generalize? 



Entomologists have to regret, that you, v/ho in so kind and 

 polite a manner have pohited out their defects, should not 

 have attempted to remedy them. The only specimen which 

 as yet you have given of the depth of your researches in this 

 branch or Natural History, is your declaration, that Entomo- 

 logy is " a kingdom of Nature," and that the Linnean genus 

 Scarabaeus is an insulated groupe, which it would be the height 

 of folly to subdivide ! There is some merit in making your 

 delmi m a science with only two observations, and taking care 

 that they shoukl be both original and new. Certainly the 

 having proposed such two solitary improvements, not only 

 denotes your acquaintance with the subject, but well entitles 

 you to decide that " Entomology requires the most skilful 

 arrangement lo enable the student to determine the multitude 

 of species," and that " it is, nevertheless, unquestionably the 

 worst furnished with assistance in this way." This may, no 

 doubt, be ahstractedltj quite correct ; but there is no one who 

 lays down " first priucij)les of arrangement" in Entomology, 

 excepting vourself, who will consider it to be the height of 

 folly to sJKxlividea groupe like Scarabfeus, of more than 2000 

 known species, and, in leaving the mass in chaotic coniusion, 

 thereby think tiiat he is giving the most skilful arrangement 

 lor enalviiitg. the student to determine them. Were you in- 

 deed to lake another glance at two common English insects, 

 viz. Cctouia aurala and Trox snlmlosm, I shoukl not be sur- 

 prised if you changed your opinion as to the best mode of 

 enabling the student to deterinine the sj^ccies. 



I had long thought that there was but one Natural System 

 in the world, and that every created being formed a part of 

 it; but you say, "Take uiiij natural system, and see if there 

 is not always a remainder of unknown things." But if the 

 natural systen) be that of (lod, what is meant by a remainder 



N.S.\u\.r,. No. .'JS. .SV;)/. 1H2!). 2E of 



