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PREFACE 



r I^HE aim of this little book is to provide a popular 

 JL introduction to the study of British insects. 

 It has been penned more from the standpoint of the 

 naturalist, whose interest lies with the structure and 

 habits of living things, than of the systematist, whose 

 chief object is to discover and record their inter- 

 relationships. But the naturalist cannot hope to 

 advance far in his pursuit without a " working know- 

 ledge" of classification to guide him. Therefore an 

 attempt has been made to indicate the chief reasons 

 why insects are separated by men of {science into 

 groups orders, families, genera, etc. The " outline 

 classification" printed on page 120 is adopted from 

 Professor G. H. Carpenter, whose articles in the 

 current edition of the " Encyclopaedia Britannica," 

 and whose work, " Insects : their Structure and Life," 

 may be consulted with advantage by the serious 

 student. Dr. David Sharp's two volumes on 

 " Insects " (which form a part of " The Cambridge 

 Natural History") should also be read and reread. 

 It is to be hoped, however, that those who may be 



