PERSECUTION OF THE SCIENCE. 13 



persons like these, who would seem in the words of the 

 satirist to 



" Think their eyes 

 And reason given them, but to study flies," 



may still perhaps be followers of objects not a whit less 

 insignificant than those which occupy their neighbours ; only 

 that the pursuits of the many escape ridicule, because they 

 are sought along the high-ways instead 'of the bye-ways of 

 wasted life. But the laugh at Entomology is nearly spent. 

 Known professors of the science, and members of its 

 " Society," may now assemble in council and communicate 

 their observations and inquiries without fear of becoming 

 themselves subjects for a commission De lunatico inquirendo, 

 and Butterfly-hunters, net in hand, may now chase their game 

 without being themselves made game of. In recent times, the 

 works of Latreille, Lamarck, Cuvier, Curtis, Leach, Macleay, 

 with many more, have been gradually improving the science 

 which their names adorn, while Kirby and Spence, 1 Rennie, 2 

 Jardine, 3 Knapp, 4 Burmeister, 5 and Westwood, 6 have pub- 

 lished their researches to the multitude in works, which, were 

 they as popular as they should be, would have a place not only 

 in every library, but in every body's hand, to serve literally as 

 hand-books in their country rambles. 



Return we now to the great volume on which the above 

 are but imperfect commentaries ! that volume, bound in 

 ethereal blue, and at this our chosen chapter, printed in living 

 characters on leaves of every tint from vernal green to the 

 richest hues of autumn ; nay, on the brown or snow-white 

 sheet of winter, for at no season is the student of Entomology 

 presented with an entire blank. Even in the month of January, 

 besides our chirping representative of the hearth and certain 



1 Introduction to Entomology. 



2 Insect Transformations, Architecture, and Miscellanies. 



3 Naturalist's Library : Beetles and Butterflies. 



4 Journal of a Naturalist. * Manual of Entomology. 



* Introduction to the Classification of Insects. - 



