the modem Classification of Insects. 33, 



distinctions. The nature of these works necessarily rendered them essentially 

 different in the information they conveyed ; indeed, owing to the greater num- 

 ber of organs possessed by insects over the higher animals, and the conse- 

 quently great modifications to which they are subjected in the different groups, 

 in order to fit them for performing their various functions, it must be. evident, 

 that the former class of works, unless extended to a great number of volumes, 

 must necessarily exclude the description of genera and species ; whilst the 

 emmense number of insect species in like manner prevented the latter class 

 of works from entering into detailed accounts of habits and structure, or 

 enquiries into the relations of the different groups. Thus the student was 

 led at once from the general views he had gained of the subject, to the 

 minute technical details of genera and species, there being no work which he 

 could take up to serve as a. guide to the developement of the principles of 

 modern classification, in the distribution of the orders and families. For 

 years this deficiency has strikingly manifested itself to me, and it is long since 

 I announced my present undertaking, in which I had proposed to myself to 

 show the application of the modern views, which have been entertained rela- 

 tive to the natural relations of animals, in the arrangement of the entire 

 groups of winged insects ; illustrating the subject by details of the natural 

 habits, transformations, and structure of the different families."" (p. iv.) 



After showing that the object of the classification of Linnaeus 

 and his followers was merely to facilitate the mode of arriving 

 at the names, while that of Latreille and his followers is to pro- 

 mote a knowledge of the nature, of insects, and to facilitate their 

 study in masses, Mr. Westwood observes th;at his great object 

 has been to make his work a fitting sequel to, the Introduction to 

 Entomology of Messrs. Kirby and Spence ; and these eminent 

 naturalists, he informs us, upon being made acquainted with the 

 nature of the Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects^ 

 kindly sanctioned his thus styling it. Did not Mr. Westwood 

 already rank so high as he does in the entomological world, this 

 marked countenance of his work by the fathers of the study 

 of entomology in this 'country would be sufficient to insure it 

 a favourable reception with the public. 



To show that the work has not been undertaken merely with 

 a view to profit, we give the concluding paragraph of the preface, 



" The numerous figures, with which the work is illustrated, are, in almost 

 every instance, original, and drawn by myself. 



" I cannot conclude this preface without alluding to the endless gratifica* 

 tion to be derived from the study of this branch of natural history, of which 

 the present work bears such ample testimony. 



w For a long series of years, the collection of materials for its completion 

 has been a ceaseless labour of love. Indeed, had it not been thus, it would 

 have been impossible for me to have proceeded in an undertaking, of which 

 the profit, if by great chance there should be any, could not be expected to 

 repay even the cost of books required in it, and from which any fame must ne- 

 cessarily be confined to a very limited circle (Kirby and Spence, Introd. Pref. 

 vol. i. p. 10.), and in which the time absorbed in the preparation of the text, 

 and in microscopically dissecting so many minute objects, represented in the 

 woodcuts, has been so great. I have, however, persevered ; and, if I shall 

 have succeeded in inducing any of my readers to pursue the science with a 

 higher aim than that of collecting specimens, by investigating the habits, and 

 the corresponding organisation of these animals, with a view to the discovery 



Vol. XV. —No. 106. d 



