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The following extracts from his correspondence in 1848 will not be uninteresting: — 

 " When I commenced the study of Entomology, thirty-nine years since, I had no concep- 

 tion of the vast number of insects to be found in this island, or I think I should have limited 

 my inquiries to an order or so: my first task was to form a census of species, and for that 

 purpose I obtained, as far as I could learn their titles, all the works treating on British Ento.- 

 mology, and from them formed a Catalogue of Species, now in my library, the number of them 

 amounting to 3673 only, not so wide a field as subsequent discoveries have manifested. Without 

 attempting self-laudation I think I may assert that it was from my unwearied exertions in youth, 

 combined with those of Dr. Leach, that gave the stimulus, at least to the London Collectors, to 

 augment the numbers as they have done; before my time nobody had the slightest notion of 

 keeping more than a pair of insects, series was out of the question, and a Cabinet of thirty or 

 thirty-six drawers was considered first rate : and in such a Cabinet all the orders were generally 

 contained. The Collection of Marsham, which I purchased, was contained in fifty, and embraced 

 less than 5000 specimens. 



" Unwisely perhaps., however, I not only proceeded in attempting to work up all the orders 

 (at the same time following up Electricity and Conchology (British), as well as attempting a 

 little of Ornithology, the proceeds of the latter enabling me to ' carry on the war' vigorously in 

 regard to the others, so far as collecting, &c. was concerned), with what success time will show. 

 At all events I have been enabled to propose a general arrangement of our insects, and a break- 

 ing up of the old Genera, &c. that has been extensively followed, and which latter time has 

 added to rather than diminished: not but that I find some of the groups faulty and require 

 revision, as does also the Nomenclature; and upon this last I have been employed now upwards 

 of ten years in endeavouring to correct it, and have detected many errors, which want of books, 

 &c. caused me to fall into, as well as inexperience: this may perhaps see the light some day or 

 other; and my Cabinet will show at all times, agreeably to my present method of arrangement, 

 the faults thus made in Nomenclature." 



" At the time my Microleps were arranged (1822-3) there was not a single work — except- 

 ing the almost unknown and useful Verzeichniss of Hiibner, which had not then reached this 

 country — which contained any modern arrangement; Treitschke, Duponchel, Zeller, Fischer 

 v. R. &c. not having then published a word on the subject. Haworth's fourth part appeared 

 only about four months before my Systematic Catalogue was published, and I was consequently 

 thrown on my own resources alone; at the same time being occupied in working up the fifth 

 volume of Meigen on the Diptera, proceeding with my Illustrations, &c. ; and when the period 

 arrived for working up my views of the Microleps (1834) I was in so dreadful a state of 

 nervous excitement from domestic illness, which terminated fatally, and from official tyranny, 

 that I often wonder now how I contrived to do what I did. As for publishing a second edition 

 of my Illustrations (or any portion) that is quite out of the question : inasmuch as in the first 

 place I have parted with the whole; and secondly, the loss of nearly ,£400 per annum for life, 

 arising from this publication and the consequences, is fully sufficient to deter me from attempting 

 anything of the kind. The work must therefore descend to posterity with all its imperfections 

 (numerous enough), and I must submit to be at times called to account for not doing twenty or 

 thirty years ago what the modern Entomologists have done within the last ten years!!! Dr. 

 Schaum has, with solid philosophical tact, pointed out why we English Entomologists have 

 failed to detect some of the allied species, and have thus erred in their Nomenclature. 



