iii ) 



P R E F A C E. 



OME Friends, for whofe judgment I 

 entertain the higheft deference, hav- 

 ing repeatedly requefted me to add an en- 

 graving of each G,nus of Jnfeds to the 

 following Work, I think myfelf under an 

 obligation to inform them of the reafons 

 which prevented my complying with their 

 defire. The extraordinary expence which 

 would have attended fueh engravings muft 

 neceffarily have enhanced the price oi 

 the Work, and defeated its principal de~ 

 fign, by preventing a number of fuch per- 

 fons as have mod occafion for it from pur* 

 chafing it - y this expence would have been 

 fo much the greater, as it would not have 

 fufficed to have figured one infect of each 

 Linna^an Genus, but would have been ab^ 

 iblutely neceffary to have given one, at 

 leaft, of each family or fe£tion of fueh ge- 

 nera as contain infe&s differing much froni 

 one another in their external appearance i 

 add to thisS, that I could have done little 



a a more 



