328 NATURAL ARRANGEMENT OF INSECTS. 



and, of course, the arguers con have availed themselves 

 of it to strengthen their views. It must not, however, 

 be inferred, that the point has been canvassed for the 

 sake of disputing only, for this would be beneath the 

 great men whose names occur in the discussion ; but it 

 is the circumstance of a fact being withheld from our 

 knowledge, and continuing involved in its original ob- 

 scurity, even after the researches of two centuries, that 

 gives a permanent interest to it. Curiosity has for a 

 characteristic an inveterate dislike to be thwarted in its 

 pursuit, and satisfaction ; and an incentive stimulus is 

 here given to it, by the assumed peculiarity of the case 

 contradicting what we know of all analogical develope- 

 ment. Our view is, that there is a strong resemblance 

 between the two creatures, but that they are not iden- 

 tical ; and the probability of this is somewhat strength- 

 ened, by the larva of the neighbouring Cantharis being 

 also much like these hexapods. A further corrobora- 

 tion of our view is derived from a statement made by 

 Frisch, which appears to have been altogether over- 

 looked in the discussion : whether this has proceeded 

 from later entomologists feeling satisfied with the 

 luminous statement made by Latreille, of all that he 

 knew of the history, derived chiefly from De Geer, he 

 not knowing German, and the description of De Geer ; 

 or whether the subsequent inquirers have been uncon- 

 versant with the German language, and therefore could 

 not test De Geer's accuracy, in whom the important 

 omission must have been accidental, — we know not ; but 

 the fact is, that Frisch, who wrote before 1730, — for it 

 is in his 6th Treatise, and we have an edition of the ■ 

 7th, datetl 1728, — explicitly says, " Mie\- numerous 

 successive changes of skin, in the last of which they 

 acquire their wing-shaped cases, they remain during the 

 winter in the clayey earth, where no humidity can 

 reach them, until the following year, about the month 

 of May." Here is a positive statement made by 

 an accurate observer, clearly from the observation of 

 facts, and certainly without bias, as his remarks were 



