PREFACE. XV11 



declaim on the superiority of a people, amongst 

 whom intellectual pleasures, however trifling, are 

 preferred to mere animal gratifications ? Is it a 

 thing to be lamented, that some of the Spitalfield 

 weavers occupy their leisure hours in searching 

 for Papilio Adonis, and others of the more 

 splendid Lepidoptera, instead of spending them 

 in playing at skittles, or in an alehouse. Or is 

 there, in truth, any thing more to be wished 

 than that the cutlers of Sheffield were accus- 

 tomed to employ their Saint Mondays, and to 

 recreate themselves after a hard day's work, by 

 breathing the pure air of their surrounding hills, 

 while in search of this ' untaxed and undisputed 

 game.' " * 



Crabbe, in his poem of The Borough, beauti- 

 fully illustrates the pleasure to be derived from 

 pursuits of this kind : 



Oft have I smiled the happy pride to see 

 Of humble tradesmen in their evening glee, 

 When of some pleasing fancied good possest, 

 Each grew alert, was busy, and was blest ; 



* KIR BY and SPENCE'S Introduction to Entomology, 

 vol. i. p. 43. 



