I 



CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 31 



Swammerdani in Dutch, Reaumur in French, while Boerhaave translated 

 Swammerdam's work into Latin. 



' It is singular that so great a lapse of time has taken place with little 

 addition to the literature of this subject, since these writers are of the 

 seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The work which they carried 

 forward with so much promise of high achievements was allowed to fall 

 into neglect. There are a few exceptions, but, generally speaking, from the 

 commencement of the century up to the present time the subject seems to 

 have fallen into almost complete abeyance. 



' To incite beginners to undertake this special work of the study of life- 

 histories, I think that something might be done if we were to put before 

 them a single example of a common insect worked out with some degree of 

 detail. If that were done in England it would get over the difficulty felt 

 by naturalists who have not made acquaintance with a foreign language. 

 We have hardly any examples of life-histories worked out and presented 

 to us in a thoroughly acceptable form. This difficulty seems to me so 

 considerable that I am now trying to draw up such a life- history of the 

 Chii-onomus, or blood-worm, which is everywhere accessible. It is one 

 of the most instructive insects known to naturalists, and in twelve months 

 I hope to have its life-history ready for the use of the student. 



' But it is not enough merely to have a book put into the hands of 

 students ; they must know how the actual work of observation is done. 

 It might be possible to pick up from among the members of the Corre- 

 sponding Societies in various parts of England an enthusiastic party of 

 young men and show them how particular things are done. For instance 

 how to capture certain kinds of insects, how to study them anatomically, 

 how to disclose the embryonic development and the inner changes which 

 accompany metamorphosis. Let me suppose that out of the members of 

 the Local Societies situated within convenient distance of the city of Leeds 

 where I have my laboratory, twelve should agree to assemble some time 

 next summer, say in July, and take up the work which I have proposed, 

 each to bring his own microscope, if he has one. I will then undertake to 

 go through a quite elementary course of training on the Chironomus, its 

 life-history and its development. I think I can undertake to initiate 

 such a party of investigators into a useful method of carrying on the study 

 of life-histories, and I think they will carry home with them, from a short 

 course of study, a detei'mination to pursue the work. We could then try 

 the experiment in another district, London for instance ; and I should also 

 be glad to do anything by way of correspondence to further this study. 



' If we should succeed in carrying out this plan it might lead to a 

 revival of the study of natural history in our country. Each student 

 might turn into a centre of infection when he went home, and spread the 

 virus through his brother naturalists. Let us look forward to such a 

 revival, and if the suggestions which I have made should command for 

 this subject the sympathy it deserves, we may realise a bright future for 

 this important branch of knowledge.' 



