ALPHABET OF INSECTS. 63 



ing bees warm ; in preventing the water from soaking into water- 

 beetles : and may also possess electrical uses which we cannot trace." 

 P.21. 



Insects are cold-blooded animals: no cold injures them: 

 water beetles are without hair or down. The electrical uses 

 of the hair we leave, until the Professor has invented a theory 

 on this point. 



" Most of the names " (of the parts of the thorax) " are confused, 

 inappropriate, and bad. I shall endeavour to be as plain and simple 

 as I can." P. 25. 



The Professor, in his laudable endeavour to be simple, uses 

 such expressions as " fore-back-plate," " hind-breast-plate," 

 " six pair of flanks," " haunches," &c. in the thorax ; terms 

 which, were they to come into use, would render the science 

 a mass of unintelligible contradiction. 



" Note. — In Latin, Epistoma. In Latin, Epimera." P. 27. 



We need hardly say, these are not Latin at all. The Pro- 

 fessor derides scientific names whenever he happens to know 

 them. All the synonyms thus given are equally inaccurate. 



" In beetles, and some other insects, the abdomen is joined to the 

 corslet," (the Professor's name for thorax,) " without any joint to 

 permit motion." P. 35. 



This blunder we have before seen in print : the Professor, 

 therefore, may plead plagiarism as his excuse. Need we say, 

 that in beetles it is not the case. " Other insects " we leave, 

 until we are informed what insects. 



We frequently find the Professor sadly out in the application 

 of descriptive terms : he says, the ears (antennse) are, " as to 

 their direction, stiff or flexible," p. 38 ; " as to their form, 

 downy, bristly, or hairy," p. 39. 



After hinting at the theories of Lamarck and Savigny, of 

 one race improving or degenerating into another, and adding 

 that " English naturalists are far behind in logic and gene- 

 ralizing," the Professor proceeds : — 



" I have stated this in order to prevent misconception, which, 

 from the imperfection of terms, is but too apt to mislead a genuine 

 field-observer, and is certain to mystify and bewilder a compiler or 

 a cabinet naturalist." P. 43. 



