Insects. 4649 



may console himself, two chasseurs were placed to guard the nest day 

 and night." " Sic vos non vobis, nidificatis aves." Birds in that 

 country, even when nesting, are not left to themselves ! Well, people 

 in England, not liking the trouble of chartering a couple of policemen 

 to guard any rare object from reckless depredation, adopt the alterna- 

 tive afforded them by the proverb, that " Silence is the best noise." 



Now, all this is contrary to the spirit in which the study of Natural 

 History should be followed. For what is the end and object of 

 studying the works of Creation ? Is it not to try and arrive at the 

 knowledge of God ? Our aim, then, should be, not so much to outdo 

 our predecessors in systems and nomenclatures, as to show that these 

 studies affect our hearts and lives : and that man will do infinitely 

 more good to his generation, aye, and (if that be his wish) have much 

 more claim to have his name handed down to posterity, by competing 

 with the Isaac Waltons, the Gilbert Whites and the William Kirbys, 

 in their Christian simplicity and kindliness of disposition, than if he 

 were to succeed in overthrowing all the systems of Linneus, Jussieu 

 and Cuvier. 



But how is this to be done ? We know that for 4000 years, si in the 

 wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God;" and yet we 

 profess that our object is the knowledge of God : and let us not think 

 that that world which was so unsuccessful owed its disappointment to 

 its consisting of uncivilized barbarians, for it boasted the most culti- 

 vated and highly polished nations that have ever been known on earth 

 — nations that have left us works of genius and of intellect as yet un- 

 rivalled in the world, and that have beaten us hollow in almost every- 

 thing but the science of money-getting : and yet these men, with all 

 their own wisdom and gifts of intellect, and with all the works of God's 

 wisdom around them, " knew not God." Let us, then, " not be high- 

 minded but fear." 



But, again I ask, how is it to be done ? I supply the answer in the 

 words of a revered friend of mine, who, meeting me one day as I 

 sallied forth armed cap-a-pie for an entomological ramble, concluded 

 a conversation thus: "Yes, my young friend, I like to see it; for 

 there are two books which we cannot read too much, the Word of 

 God and the Works of God. But remember ! the book you are going 

 to read to-day will do you no good, unless you blend its teachings 

 with those of the other ; for though that one can do without this, this 

 one cannot do without that." And as it was of old so it is now, it is 

 not by wisdom, it is not by the knowledge of the external objects of 

 nature that men come to know God, but through Jesus Christ : that 



