Viii PREFACE. 



confinement; damp, darkness, and quiet being neces- 

 sities for their development. Neither do they, like bees, 

 ants, etc., exhibit any wonderful instincts in their per- 

 fect state : so that little remains to notice beyond their 

 actual structure ; which is, luckily, so varied and adapted 

 to their numerous ways and means of life as to afford a 

 never-ending subject for discovery, instruction, and de- 

 light. Here, however, we are met by fresh difficulties 

 in the path of investigation ; since the two points of 

 size and colour, usually of primary importance to be- 

 ginners in any study of natural objects, are of less help 

 than usual in the Order Coleoptera, owing to their fre- 

 quent instability ; and the detail of minute differences 

 necessitates the use of peculiar terms, incapable of con- 

 version into " plain English/' 



Nevertheless, the field for observation is so exten- 

 sive, the cost of implements so small, the collection 

 of material alike so easy and so conducive to health, 

 and the material itself so readily manipulated (owing to 

 the hard integuments of most species of beetles), and 

 affording scope for so many interesting observations, 

 that few who have commenced can abandon the pleasing 

 labour. 



The student desiring further acquaintance with the 

 principles of classification, etc. (too generally neglected 



