14 



I believe that, if analogies were more carefully studied 

 in the lower departments of the animal kingdom, we 

 should be less inclined to deny some sort of uniformity 

 to the action of elements and conditions which, by a 

 law of Nature, must at times operate equally upon the 

 various and dissimilar members of the organic creation. 

 Amongst the Insecta, where the individuals exist in such 

 multitudes that accuracy in generalizations concerning 

 them, becomes, as it were, peculiarly within our reach, 

 this doctrine cannot be too rigidly insisted upon ; and it 

 is not difficult to foresee that, should the principle of 

 external disturbing influences ever be admitted by ento- 

 mologists to the extent which it has been accepted by 

 the students of the Vertebrata, our so-called " species " 

 will have to submit to a process of elimination and 

 inquiry, which at present would be well nigh incre- 

 dible. The time for such a step is yet far off : perhaps 

 indeed, considering the innovations of nomenclature 

 which it would necessitate, it will never arrive at all ; 

 yet the fact remains the same, that, if analogy with 

 creatures of a more perfect development be not altogether 

 disallowed us, during our researches into the insect 

 tribes, or if similar causes may be presumed to have 

 somewhat similar effects in opposite sections of the 



scientias. Faciunt certe hujusmodi res ad delectationem, atque 

 etiam quandoque ad praxin; verum ad introspiciendam naturam 

 parum aut nihil. Itaque convertenda plane est opera ad inquiren- 

 das et notandas rerum similitudines et analoga, tarn in integralibus, 

 quam partibus : illae enim sunt, quae naturam uniunt, et constituere 

 scientias incipiunt." Novum Organum, lib. ii. 27. 



