PERSECUTION OF THE SCIENCE. 21 



a swarm of Fire-flies. Yet this, her augmented brightness, 

 did but serve for a season to make her a more conspicuous 

 butt for the shafts of ridicule ; and many a quill was shot, in 

 derision, at this persecuted science, which could only have 

 been aimed with any show of fairness at her merest classifiers 

 and collectors, such as every branch of Natural History may 

 number among the lesser minded of its votaries. But even 

 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 in- 

 significant 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 " So- 

 ciety," may now assemble in council and communicate their 

 observations and inquiries without fear of becoming them- 

 selves 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, Ma- 

 cleay, with many more, have been gradually improving the 

 science which their names adorn, while Kirby and Spence,* 



* Introduction to Entomology. 



