58 OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 



To these considerations, which I have no doubt you 

 will think conclusive as to the unreasonableness and in- 

 consistency of the objections made against the study of 

 Entomology on the score of cruelty, I shall only add 

 that I do not intend them as any apology for other than 

 the most speedy and least painful modes of destroying 

 insects ; and these will be pointed out to you in a sub- 

 sequent letter. Every degree of unnecessary pain be- 

 comes cruelty, which I need not assure you I abhor ; and 

 from my own observations, however ruthlessly the ento- 

 mologist may seem to devote the few specimens wanted 

 for scientific purposes to destruction, no one in ordinary 

 circumstances is less prodigal of insect life. For my 

 own part, I question whether the drowning individuals, 

 which I have saved from destruction, would not far out- 

 number all that I ever sacrificed to science. 



My next letter will be devoted to the metamorphoses 

 of insects, a subject on which some previous explanation 

 is necessary to enable you to understand those distinc- 

 tions between their different states, which will be per- 

 petually alluded to in the course of our correspondence : 

 and having thus cleared the way, I shall afterwards pro- 

 ceed to the consideration of the injuries and benefits of 

 which insects are the cause. 



I am, &c, 



