156 NATURAL HISTORY 



improvements would soon follow of -course. 

 A knowledge of the properties, economy, 

 propagation, and, in short, of the life and 

 conversation of these animals, is a neces- 

 sary step to lead us to some method of pre- 

 venting their depredations. 



As far as I am a judge, nothing would re- 

 commend entomology more than some neat 

 plates that should well express the generic 

 distinctions o{ insects according to Linnceus ; 

 for I am well assured that many people 

 would study insects, could they set out 

 with a more adequate notion of those dis- 

 tinctions than can be conveyed at first by 

 words alone. 



LETTER XXXV. 



TO THE SAME. 



DEAR SIR; Selborne, 1771- 



Happening to make a visit to my neigh- 

 bour's peacocks, I could not help observing 

 that the trains of tliosc magnificent birds 



