2 INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 



The scientific Entomologist has frequently had occasion to 

 regret the want of an appropriate medium through which his 

 researches might gain public attention. Hence we find inte- 

 resting Entomological papers scattered in magazines of a 

 purely literary or philosophical character,* or lost in the un- 

 readable and cumbrous tonues of learned societies, where they 

 are rarely consulted, and are often entirely overlooked. We 

 might cite instances of this kind ; for example — the admirable 

 monograph of Mr. Kirby on the Genus Apion, and that of 

 Mr. Spence on Choleva, in the Linnean Transactions. No one 

 thinks of expending two guineas in the purchase of these 

 volumes for the sake of a single paper, however excellent, 

 and access to them is thus confined to a few. From this 

 cause, we are satisfied that many valuable contributions to 

 Entomology have been suffered to remain within the port- 

 folios of their authors ; few individuals choosing to incur the 

 risk of a separate publication, with the knowledge that the 

 sale of such works is extremely limited. We are also disposed 

 to think that the want of an appropriate vehicle for imparting 

 information has tended, in many instances, to repress that 

 spirit of inquiry which is so highly desirable in the pursuit of 

 science. These difficulties will now be removed ; — the pages 

 of this magazine will be open to record the labours of British 

 Entomologists, which have been as yet imperfectly known. 



The facilities for spreading information which Foreign Ento- 

 mologists have long enjoyed, have given them a decided su- 

 periority and advantage in cultivating the science. We are 

 convinced that our own countrymen will not be slow to avail 



* An instance in point has just come under our notice. In the London and 

 Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science for the month of 

 August, there is a paper by J. O. Westwood, Esq., giving characters of two 

 families, including sixteen genera of Hymenopterous insects, which, from being 

 published in such a channel, are never likely to be seen by Entomologists. 



