MUTUAL DEPENDENCE OF THE SCIENCES. 255 



breezes of the mountain playing around us, that the 

 insect was observed. The party, consisting of three 

 of my fellow members, and myself, was about com- 

 mencing the descent, when the beetle, with a flight 

 particularly strong and vigorous, darted into one of 

 our gauze nets, and continued for a considerable 

 time afterwards to make a humming noise, not unhke 

 that of a bee when angry. 



And now, my dear Arnold, I shall detain you no 

 longer. Tlie field seems indeed inexhaustible, but 

 as you are about entering on its investigation for 

 yourself, I need not enlarge on its productions. One 

 of my objects has been already accomplished : I 

 fondly hope " the greatest is behind." I expect 

 that one branch of inquiry is, in your case, but " the 

 happy prologue" to another ; for aU the sciences are 

 so connected, that, although we distinguish them by 

 several names, we cannot understand one, N^-ithout 

 paying homage to many others on the same vigorous 

 and graceful stem. While, therefore, I say — 



" thou Shalt be as free 



As mountain wiuds," — Tempest, Act I. Sc. II. 



I anticipate that, wliile you observe the various tribes 

 of insects in their several haunts, you will gradually 

 and almost insensibly acquire a knowledge of the 

 botanical characteristics of those leafj' dwellings 

 which so many of them frequent, and hence be pre- 



