KILLING OF INSECTS. 397 



blossom, that gave the fairest promise of abundance 

 of fruit, and every product of the earth. 



THAT the death of any creature should be re- 

 quired by the naturalist, to perfect his examina- 

 tion, or arrange it in his collection, (and without a 

 collection the investigation of any branch of natural 

 history can be but partially undertaken,) may be 

 regretted ; but still the epithet of " cruel employ" 

 must not be attached to this pursuit. We do not 

 destroy in wantonness, or unnecessarily ; and that 

 life, of which it is expedient to deprive a creature, 

 is taken by the most speedy, and in the least 

 painful manner known. Some of our methods, if 

 speedy, are at the same time injurious, such as 

 hot water, the stifling box, Sec. ; and some, that 

 are not painful, such as stupefaction by spirits, 

 ether, &c., and suffocation by carbonate of am- 

 monia, are occasionally not effectual. But there is 

 one process, which I believe to be neither painful 

 nor injurious, yet decisive, and communicative 

 with pleasure ; I mean the prussic acid. This 

 fluid may be imbibed by the insect without pro- 

 ducing any particular effect ; but, if brought to 

 act upon the spinal cord, or what at least is ana- 

 logous to that part of a vertebrate animal, what- 

 ever it may be called, and which seems to be the 



