THE ATTRACTIONS OF ENTOMOLOGY 165 



dependency and baptised it differently, or an old obsolete 

 account may be discovered giving it a long-forgotten title in 

 which case this supersedes the modern name. As a result, 

 the already innumerable species known bear in very many 

 cases half a dozen synonyms each, and everv year this 

 confusion in regard to nomenclature is becoming worse con- 

 founded, so that the intelligent layman who desires to get 

 a good general idea of entomology is dismayed and repelled 

 by this formidable array of dry, uninteresting tables of 

 names. 



Now a complete system of classification is indeed essent- 

 ial to accurate scientific knowledge, but the ordinary man 

 may very well leave these refinements to the specialist, and 

 simply confine himself to the characters of the chief sub- 

 divisions, referring to a good text-book for any further details 

 of structure and classification whenever he requires them. 

 This is all that is really necessary in order to give him an 

 adequate idea of the position occupied by whatever insects 

 engage his attention for the moment, and he is then 

 sufficiently prepared to take an intelligent pleasure in observ- 

 ing their life history and habits either under natural or arti- 

 ficial conditions. Such seems to have been the method 

 adopted by that "incomparable observer," J. H. Fabre, 

 whose fascinating memoirs reveal most clearly the charm of 

 this subject, and show T what splendid results can be achieved 

 by a self -trained student in his leisure hours. 2 



The other reason why so many people are discouraged 

 from the pursuit of entomology consists in the fact that, no 

 matter what may be the object in view, a collection of some 

 sort is indispensable, and the methods adopted for preserving 

 these delicate creatures are very troublesome, mutilate the 

 specimens badly, and yield by no means satisfactory results. 

 Most people, at some time in their lives, have started such 

 collections, and after pinning the specimens in the usual way 

 and labelling them carefully, have been disheartened to* find 

 in a few weeks that they were completely dried up, the 

 beautiful colours had faded, the shrivelled limbs became 

 detached with the slightest touch, and in utter disgust the 

 collection was relegated to the dust heap, with a muttered 



2 This obscure country schoolmaster, born of peasant parents in 

 France, spent all his spare time during a very long life, in closely- 

 observing and experimenting on the insects in his immediate neigh- 

 bourhood ; the results he embodied in the ten volumes of his "Souvenirs 

 Entomologiques" which have provided material for several excellent 

 English extracts under the titles of "Social Life in the Insect World," 

 "The Wonders of Instinct," etc., etc. 



