GENERALIZED VIEWS OF ENTOMOLOGY REQUISITE. 33 



he should commence by the mvestigation of isolated species : 

 his collection must be in the first instance generalized, since 

 it is only by studying groups of insects in the mass that we 

 can ever acquire any general views of the science. If this 

 be not done, we shall be constantly falling into the error of 

 separating intimately allied groups, because their external 

 appearance is different, and of uniting insects which, from 

 the difference of their organization, are widely apart, because 

 their appearance is similar. Let us take any every-day ex- 

 ample of the want of this generalized view of insects. There 

 is an extensive group of two-winged flies which are called 

 drones : they are the very personifications of luxuriant idle- 

 ness — they do nothing but sip the nectar from the brightest 

 flowers, and enjoy the sunshine basking upon the leaves of 

 plants ; and there is an extensive group of bees, having the 

 same general appearance, but being in habits the very reverse 

 of the drones — toiling all day long, either in the construc- 

 tion of the nest, or in provisioning it with pollen paste. 

 Now, by ignorant persons, the same name is given to both 

 groups of insects, and not the slightest idea is entertained 

 of the totally opposite nature of their habits. 



A, DTone-&y {Eristalis). b. Spring wild-bee {Anthophora retusa). 



I am the more anxious to impress upon the reader the ne- 

 cessity for obtaining a generalized view of insects, and indeed 

 of the entire productions of nature, because it is well known 

 that many of om* fellow-labourers fritter away their talents 



