ENTOMOLOGICAL. 45 



parts of the world, are here, carefully numbered and 

 classified, requiring the long life of a Methuselah to study 

 them all. 



And here, too, are geological specimens of various 

 strata: from the Himalaya mountains, the Mounts of 

 Olives and Sinai ; also of the Pyramids of Egypt and the 

 Yocal Sphinx, and from the old primeval forests of past 

 ages, with their curious contents of fibre and spores ; as 

 well as curiosities of chemistry and photography the 

 choice collection of thirty years. Are you willing that I 

 should be your guide ? I have many valuable credentials; 

 much experience; some enthusiasm, devotion, and love 

 both for my favourite study and the happy work of bring- 

 ing it to the notice of others; and thorough sympathy 

 with David's words, "Thou, Lord, hast made me glad 

 through Thy works, and I will rejoice in giving praise 

 for the operation of Thy hands." 



But, in the short time we shall have at our disposal, 

 you must only expect to have " a sample of the bulk," as 

 business men say. I shall have done something for your 

 good, my imaginary companion, if I can so reach the 

 source of your hunger after knowledge, as to make you 

 leave off with an appetite; and you will discover that 

 sixty minutes over the microscope will make very con- 

 siderably less, apparently, than one ordinary hour. 



Where shall we begin ? 



Life begins with the egg; so, as it is best to 

 begin at the beginning, let us begin with the eggs of 

 insects. 



What beautiful things they are ! Whatever God does 

 is always done well. See, here are the eggs of a nocturnal 

 moth, Noctua nigrum. To what shall we compare them ? 

 minute domes, they are ribbed from the centre to the 

 bottom, and almost exactly resemble the echinus shell. 



