12 



ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF INSECTS. 



living animals, — who has set himself in opposition to the 

 geological views of Cuvier, Buckland, and Conybeare, — who 

 has criticised Leach, MacLeay, Samouelle ; and, on a former 

 occasion, myself. And when, moreover, I trace in your pages, 

 under the signature of D. D., the eccentric opinions contained 

 in the " Philosophy of Zoology," and the " History of British 

 Animals," I feel persuaded that all these are but diversified 

 productions of one pen. The Dichotomous system, some how 

 or other, is always brought in, as in the present case ; for 

 the Reviewer says, " we shall come to the Dichotomous 

 system, which must be true, for by the affinities of two beings, 

 the links in the chain of creation are moulded." True it is that 

 affinities are so marked, but we have seen that these links, 

 which must differ in structure, are not what the writer defines 

 to be affinities; and that, consequently, if he is correct, there 

 is no chain of creation. 



I have alluded to my suspicions as to the author of this 

 review, that our younger students should not be alarmed by 

 perceiving, under a variety of anonymous shapes and sig- 

 natures, so much stress laid upon "the Dichotomous system;" 

 and thus be frightened from adopting, or examining, any 

 other. I may be wrong in this supposition, but it is strength- 

 ened by so many collateral circumstances, that nothing but a 

 public denial on the part of Dr. Fleming will remove this 

 impression. If this is given, I will cheerfully and sincerely 

 acknowledge I have done him temporary injustice; — but his 

 silence must be looked upon as an affirmative. 



P. S. — I have neither time nor inclination to notice the 

 authors of the other review : its falsehood is best refuted by 

 the volume itself. 



January 20, 1835. W. S. 



Art. II.— A few Words on the Transformation of Insects. 

 By Edward Newman. Read at the Linncean Society, 

 April 1, 1834. a 



" In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas." 



The metamorphosis of insects has, in all ages, attracted 

 admiration. What can be more wonderful than that an 



1 In order to account for the appearance of this article in the Entomological 

 Magazine, after its having been read at the Linnaean Society, it seems necessary 



