PLAN FOB STUDYING. 355 



Annulosa is divided, will point out the distinction of true 

 insects from such as are destitute of wings j and you will 

 be in no danger of referring an apterous moth or a 

 female glowworm to a wrong order. Proceed in this 

 manner, gradually entering into further details as you 

 approach that particular portion which you intend to 

 investigate. The study of any one of the great divi- 

 sions of annulose animals is ample occupation for a 

 life; and the more you restrict your attention to one 

 department, the more will you ultimately rejoice at 

 your forbearance, in not wandering over the tempting 

 but boundless fields of nature. 



(437.) To discover the name of a species is the 

 ultimate object which all amateurs, and many professed 

 naturalists, have in view. To do this, by merely turn- 

 ing over the plates of a zoological work, is manifestly a 

 short and easy road to knowledge ; but the superficial 

 acquaintance thus obtained, however convenient and 

 useful upon many occasions, will not satisfy the true 

 naturalist. Hence, he will begin by studying the com- 

 position of groups, before he descends into further 

 details ; and this, indeed, is inevitable, whether the 

 student willingly consents or not. He finds, for instance, 

 a beetle, and he wishes to know its name. He must 

 therefore first ascertain to which of the great divisions 

 of insects it belongs ; the winged (Ptilota) or the wing- 

 less (Aptera) : but this is not enough, he finds there are 

 several orders in each of these great divisions, and he 

 is detained in his search, until he discovers to which of 

 these orders his insect belongs. He finds that all such 

 as have hard wing-covers come under the order Coleop- 

 tera. He may possibly think his search is now draw- 

 ing to a conclusion, but he will be very much deceived. 

 He has to compare his insect with the characters of all 

 the different tribes, families, and genera of this order. 

 If, in the present paucity of good elementary books, he 

 succeeds so far as to ascertain the genus of his insect, 

 he may consider himself very fortunate. One more trial, 

 and he comes to the species. Now it is quite evident 



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