268419 



ILLUSTKATIONS 



OP 



BRITISH ENTOMOLOGY. 



These are thy glorious works. Parent of Good." 



Millon. 



Insects have ever been justly ranked amongst the most sur- 

 prising productions of the animal creation, and whether we contem- 

 plate their wonderful metamorphoses — their ever- varying economy 

 —their extraordinary and frequently grotesque structure — their 

 prodigious numbers — the effulgent brilliancy of colouring with which 

 many of them are adorned — or the atomical dimensions of others, 

 the mind is equally lost in admiration of the infinite power dis- 

 played by the Creator, and gratified by the reflection that His 

 supreme beneficence has willed to call them into existence for the 

 use and advantage of mankind. 



Who, therefore, that meditates upon these things, and upon the 

 parental kindness of the " First Great Cause," towards these, 

 and all His other creatures, is not urged fervently to exclaim with 

 Stillingfleet : 



" Almighty Being, 



" Caus^ and support of all things, can I view 



" These objects of my wonder ; can I feel 



" These fine sensations, and not think of Thee?" 



Systematic writers divide these interesting objects of our curiosity 

 into orders, sections, and other subordinate groups; but, previously 

 to defining the characters of these, it is necessary to observe that 



Mantdibulata : Vol. T. 1st May, 1827. b 



