Insects. 3519 



tive, to the large body of persons who have neither time nor means 

 to go beyond the limits of the town, and have no inducement from 

 Natural History to come out from themselves and their employments, 

 during their brief intervals of business. The hour is propitious, and 

 there would not be much difficulty in finding the man. 



I mention Entomology in particular, partly from having myself a 

 prepossession in its favour, and partly because insects are so easy to 

 procure ; but if an entomological course of lectures were successful, 

 other branches of Zoology might follow. The great thing to be done 

 is to make an inroad upon the vast realm of Do-nothing — to awaken 

 and direct a taste for observing and reflecting upon the natural objects 

 around, to show the beauty of common things, and lead men, who 

 now at most see but the beauty of utility, to feel the utility of beauty. 

 This is one of the many paths which the growing intelligence of the 

 people requires should be opened : My Lords and Gentlemen, it must 

 be done ! ■ — and why not by you ? Could not our young nobles at 

 Oxford and Cambridge learn something of Natural History, and fit 

 themselves for appreciating the wonders that their means and opportu- 

 nities put so specially within their reach, to the benefit not only of 

 themselves but of the numberless persons influenced by their exam- 

 ple ? Could not our young clergy make themselves acquainted with 

 the laws that govern the existence and distribution of the infinite 

 number of dependants on that Great Power w r hose special servants 

 they profess to be ? When afterwards settled down among a rural 

 population, would not their knowledge be most beneficial in directing 

 the rude Natural- History instincts of the lads of the village, from whom 

 now and then they might perhaps eliminate a Linnaeus, a Cuvier, a 

 Latreille, or some milder luminary ? At least, they might put every 

 cottager in the kingdom in the way of keeping bees, and adding by 

 their produce to his material comforts. Might not the sons of our 

 merchant princes be taught how in their dealings with the ends of the 

 earth they could enrich the collections of the nation, and add to the 

 scientific knowledge of the world ? Finally, might not our gentry 

 cause every school in the country to have its Natural History Class, 

 and every village its Natural History Club ? I am sure all these 

 things are possible to be accomplished, and only w r ant to be begun to 

 succeed, to the great benefit of science, of the state, and of individu- 

 als, and with one other incidental result — that of making London 

 more than ever an Entomological Locality. J. W. Douglas. 



6, Kingswood Place, Lee, June 9, 1852. 



