278 THE SCHOOL OP R^UMUR 



was no more than twenty ; it contains the first published 

 account of the water Podura and other spring-tails. 

 This*^ excellent beginning was followed by more studies 

 of the same kind, and after some years' labour Reaumur 

 and Muschenbroek advised him to prepare a methodical 

 account of his discoveries. He took Reaumur's Histoire 

 des Insectes as his model, and wrote in French, though 

 he was aware that his style was ";^as trop Frangais." 

 Reaumur assured him that due allowance would be 

 made for a naturalist who wrote in a foreign language, 

 but little allowance was called for. The numerous plates 

 were engraved from the author's drawings. Buffon's 

 first three volumes had lately appeared, in which 

 Reaumur was reproached for his blind admiration of the 

 works of nature, and especially of insect contrivances. 

 " On admire toujours d'autant plus, qu'on observe 

 davantage et qu'on raisonne moins." De Geer retorted 

 by explaining that he had made a point of telling what 

 he had seen "sans trop de raisonnemens." His first 

 volume found so few purchasers that de Geer in a fit 

 of disgust burned a large part of the edition ; this 

 volume has been scarce ever since. Happily for us 

 his good temper soon returned ; he lived long enough 

 and worked hard enough to deal with all the orders 

 of insects. His classification of insects by wings and 

 mouth-parts was better than any that had previously 

 appeared, and resembles in many respects that which we 

 still employ. 



