XIV INTRODUCTION. 



regret, that poetry which for its beauty and 

 elegance is so universally admired, should be 

 the vehicle of opinions that are founded in 

 error. 



ARISTOMACHUS of Soli in Cilicia had his 

 contemplations for nearly sixty years almost 

 solely occupied by bees ; and PHILISCUS the 

 Thracian spent a great portion of his time in 

 the woods, that he might investigate their 

 manners and habits without interruption; 

 whence he acquired the name of Agrius. 

 However small their contribution of know- 

 ledge may appear to this enlightened age, 

 these ancient worthies must have aided the 

 early progress of their favourite science, and 

 are at all events evidences of the zeal with 

 which it was prosecuted in their day. 



About the commencement of the Christian 

 aera, COLUMELLA, who was a very accurate 

 observer and exhibited considerable genius 

 as a naturalist, made some curious and use- 

 ful remarks upon bees in his Treatise De Re 

 Rusticd : but Columella, like Virgil, appears 

 to have acquiesced in and copied the errors 

 of his predecessors. 



After him the elder PLINY gave a sanction 



