OBSERVATIONS ON BLIGHT. 429 



flying about for their recreation, would so thoroughly check 

 their increase, that in a few years the insect would scarcely be 

 known ; and this might be effected without the destruction of 

 a single tree, but those on which the beetles had already past 

 their irrevocable sentence of death. 



Here end my Observations on Blight; and now a word or 

 two on things in general. I have more than once seen posted 

 on a placard, at a shop window, " No connexion with the 

 concern next door." I am compelled to take a hint from 

 these worthies, and stick up, as a notice, " No connexion 

 with the Rusticus of the Colloquia." 1 don't know that that 

 Rusticus, or rather that adumbration of Rusticus, is made to 

 say one word that is not strictly true ; but this I know, that I 

 cannot relate such things as an eye-witness, because I have 

 never set foot on the soil of Africa, Switzerland, Germany, or 

 Russia ; and the Rusticus of the Colloquia appears perfectly 

 familiar with all those countries. You will see I attach some 

 importance to this matter, because on the veracity of my com- 

 munications their sole value must depend ; and were I once 

 detected launching my pen into the sea of romance, that 

 veracity might justly be called in question ; after this explana- 

 tion, your readers will be kind enough to draw a line between 

 what Rusticus says for himself and what others say for him ; 

 and, with this understanding, I assure you no one will read 

 the Colloquia with more pleasure than myself. 



In the second place, a correspondent of yours, at p. 363, 

 has, I perceive, given me a hint about what I said at p. ^20, 

 touching the antennae of insects, for which I thank your cor- 

 respondent, for it gives me an opportunity of requesting you to 

 correct a printer's error ; for compilations read compilation — 

 you will see by the text one compilation only is referred to — 

 pray put this in your bltinderata. After thus duly thanking 

 your correspondent for the kind and tender interest he seems 

 to take in my writings, I should be acting rather unfairly 

 towards your correspondent, if I were not to do a little in the 

 same way for him ; one good turn, you know, deserves another; 

 and, as I suppose we are on a level in the matter of name- 

 ology, each having adopted a rural designation, we can the 

 more freely discuss these little matters, each sheltering himself 

 from the amicable weapons of the other under his own tempo- 

 rary shield. I will, therefore, in a brotherly manner, recom- 



