CHAP, xii.] SKETCH BY THE EDITOR 85 



" Q. Why not ? A. Because it has eight legs, and never 

 has any wings. Insects in their perfect state have six legs, 

 and usually either one or two pairs of wings. 



" Q. Why do you say in their perfect state ? And so on. 



" I believe that it is an absolute mistake to begin with a 

 definition of an insect such as is usually given half the 

 words of which are utterly without meaning to the student." 



Under strong pressure at a later date, Miss Ormerod 

 delivered in the same hall a course of ten lectures in five 

 consecutive days, on the " Orders of Insects," and these 

 were reproduced in full in her "Guide to the Methods of 

 Insect Life." 



The organisation was defective, and very small audiences 

 assembled. Professor Axe and others who gave special 

 lectures in the same course had the same experience. Only 

 ^10 was paid to Miss Ormerod for her share of the 

 work, a sum which did not cover outlays, and apart from 

 the annoyance of the bungling the fatigue was great. 



About this course. Professor Huxley wrote on November 

 n, 1883 : "Dear Miss Ormerod, I am very glad to welcome 

 you as a colleague and I wish I could come and hear your 

 lectures, being particularly ignorant of the branch of 

 Entomology you have made your own. I shall be very 

 glad if any of my students can find time to profit by your 

 teaching but I suspect that their hands are pretty full. We 

 shall be very glad to have your sister's work and thank her 

 for the trouble she has taken. Ever yours very truly," &c. 



When a copy of the book reached him in the following 

 January he again wrote: " Many thanks for your ' Guide 

 to Insect Life.' I know enough of your portion of work to 

 be sure that it will be clear, accurate, and useful, and I hope 

 that the public will show a due appreciation of it. With 

 best wishes, &c. 



"T. H. HUXLEY." 



Sir Joseph Hooker also wrote as follows : 



ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, 



January n, 1884. 



DEAR Miss ORMEROD, Pray accept my best thanks for 

 the copy of your " Guide to Methods of Insect Life." I 

 have read the first 50 pages at intervals of my work with 

 great pleasure and interest. I was an Entomologist before 

 I took to Botany, as was my father before me, and I do 

 enjoy in my old age the account you give of the forgotten 



