INTRODUCTORY NOTE 



When it is pointed out that there are over one hundred 

 and seventy different species of Caddis Flies in Britain 

 alone, and several thousands of species of Ichneumons, 

 the difficulty of compressing into one modest volume 

 even a brief survey of British Insect Life will be realised. 

 Whilst the members of the Order Lepidoptera (Butter- 

 flies and Moths) have been accorded a volume of their 

 own,* and thus relieved the congestion somewhat, there 

 remained a mighty host to contend with in the general 

 insecta, and it is with representatives of these that this 

 fifth volume is concerned. It has been the author's 

 aim to treat his subject more or less scientifically, and 

 yet not be dry-as-dust, as a book on insect-life must, 

 to be of any useful service, include scientific names, 

 orders, families, and the rest. Popular books on these 

 insect-marvels, whilst eminently readable, are of little 

 use for identification or reference, and the idea has been 

 to strike a happy medium by producing a tome that 

 shall make a direct appeal to all Nature lovers, and yet 

 have some value from the point of view already men- 

 tioned. As it stands, it is claimed to be the most com- 

 prehensive little volume yet published on British Insects 



* Volume IV, of " The Abbey Nature Books." 



