PREFACE . Vll 



The attention of the reader may also be profitably directed 

 to another work entitled ' Episodes of Insect Life/ in wliich 

 the Instincts and Habits of Insects are described through 

 the agreeable medium of a series of Essays, combining in a 

 novel form an admixture of the Eeal and Ideal of Entomo- 

 logical life, adapted to the months of the year. 



To the works of Curtis, Westwood, and Kirby and Spence 

 the author of this volume is deeply indebted, and their 

 valuable details being too voluminous and expensive for the 

 generality of young students, will, she trusts, be deemed 

 sufficient apology for the endeavour to open an easy and 

 pleasant path to that pursuit, which they have so ably illus- 

 trated by their talents and research. 



In the first chapter, the author has given a concise intro- 

 dution to the subject, explanatory of the different parts 

 into which insects are scientifically divided by Entomolo- 

 gists, omitting those minor details only, which are merely 

 useful to the anatomist, or to those wishing to enter more 

 minutely into the dissection of specimens, than the readers 



