35 



the ease with which many may be reared in large numbers, the 

 rapidity with which the broods follow each other, and the consequent 

 ability to obtain results rapidly, have tended to throw on the study of 

 insects the greater part of the practical work by which the experi- 

 menting biologist has attempted to fathom some of the mysteries 

 surrounding the phenomena of life. It frequently happens, there- 

 fore, that the biologist appeals to the systematist for material, and 

 often becomes more or less interested in systematic work himself; on 

 the other hand, men who commence as systematists often find them- 

 selves branching off into biological or philosophical studies. Darwin 

 commenced as an ardent coleopterist ; Wallace was a systematic 

 lepidopterist ; and the published systematic work of Bates and 

 Trimen must be well known to all of you. Poulton, too, commenced 

 by collecting and arranging Lepidoptera, and is at the present time 

 superintending the rearrangement of the " Hope " entomological 

 collections in the University of Oxford. Chapman, who' has revolu- 

 tionised our ideas of the classification of the Lepidoptera, and 

 perhaps done more than any other entomologist towards bringing 

 entomology into line as an exact science, is a well-known systematist 

 in more than one order. Such examples might be multiplied exceed- 

 ingly, and I have no hesitation in stating that some work in systematic 

 entomology is of the greatest advantage to those students who take 

 up the biological or philosophical sides of the subject ; and I would 

 urge that, without some knowledge of field work — often a very exact 

 and thorough knowledge — ultimate success in the working out of 

 many philosophical problems is almost impossible. There can be 

 little doubt, then, that some close attention to systematic work, and 

 some exact knowledge gained by actual observation in the field, make 

 the very best basis on which to climb to success in the other branches 

 of the subject. 



Sooner or later the systematic entomologist, especially if he does 

 his own collecting, finds himself drifting more or less into the biolo- 

 gical side of his subject. He, perhaps, has bred specimens for his 

 collection, and has thus become interested in the phenomena pre- 

 sented by their metamorphoses, and, instead of being satisfied with 

 the mere killing and setting of the specimens for his collection, he 

 commences probably to collate the facts that he observes, and 

 attempts to draw conclusions therefrom. This naturally leads up to 

 the more subtle problems relating to the conditions of life, to the 

 modifications of the various forms, and ultimately he is led to attempt to 

 explain the origin of the various forms or species themselves ; for it 

 may be taken for granted that when once the inquisitiveness of a 

 really intellectual man has been aroused, he will follow up his investi- 

 gations to their ultimate end. It is the strong side of the human 

 intellect to want to know the how and why of everything ; and hence, 

 so far as one seeks knowledge for its own sake, this must be considered 

 as the highest branch of this and all parallel subjects. 



I will now deal with a few of the various branches of entomological 



