. THE SYNTHETICAL METHOD- 46l 



however fear that such a verdict founded on such grounds 

 can ever be the verdict of the majority ; and at all events 

 less blame must fall to my share than was incurred long 

 since by the ingenious author, who, without the same rea- 

 sons for it, has expressed the same sentiment. " Dam ce 

 qui appaitient a la nature tout est lie, tout est dependant^ 

 tout est le resultat d'u)i plan conimun coristammeut suivi, 

 mais inji7iiinent varie dans ses parties et dans ses details." 



Indeed, had it not been that now the belief of one gene- 

 ral plan extending throughout the universe seems justifi- 

 able, it might be doubted whether the preferable course 

 of proceeding would not be to omit the present chapter 

 altogether. We might question whether it would not be 

 better to have immediate recourse to analysis, rather than 

 to pursue any further the synthetical plan, wliile destitute 

 in so great a degree of the information necessary to sup- 

 port it. Thus every interruption to the synthetical methotl 

 of investigation is not only inconsistent with the particular 

 path traced out for this essay at the commencement, but 

 is moreover losing sight of its very object and sole use. 

 On tlie other hand, again, the accurate designation of the 

 more minute groups of Coleopfera, in the actual state of 

 our acquaintance with them, is quite an impossibility, and 

 every attempt at it, unless founded on analysis, deserves to 

 be considered as httle better than vague speculation. Ob- 

 jections thus presenting themselves to each alternative, I 

 have resolved to sketch slightly the leading affinities of the 

 Coleoptera, in order to preserve as much as possible the 

 plan originally laid down, while at the same time, to pre- 

 vent the possibility of great errors creeping in, I shall abs- 

 tain from offering at present all remarks, the tendency of 



