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ENTOMOLOGY 



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Entomology, from i'vr^a, ara wi«c«, and Aoyas, a dis- of Nature on any of her other works. One delect in 



course ; the science which treats of insects, a class of appearance must indeed be conceded; and this may be 



animals, which were formerly arranged, along with regarded, in point of beauty, a material defect ; they are 



Crustacea and Arachnides, under the general deno- not always so considerable in magnitude as to become, 



mination of insects (Insecta,) which, as we have al- even with these embellishments, so strikingly attractive, 



ready shown under the article Crustackology, are Were they equal in size to the smallest birds, their 



now universally allowed to be distinct. The word «v- elegance would render them more inviting in the eyes 



rcu.ee is derived from i>, into, and re^a, to cut ; and in- of mankind in general ; but, even amongst the minor 



sectum has a similar root, from in, into, and seco, to cut, species, when examined with a microscope, we find their 



because insects are divided into numerous segments, or beauty and elegance far superior to that of any other 



from their being generally almost divided into two parts, class in nature. « After a minute and attentive examina- 



•which are merely attached to each other by a slender tion," says Swammerdam, « of the nature and structure 



thread. The former term was made use of by Aristotle, of the smaller as well as the larger animals, I cannot 



who lived about 500 years before the Christian era, and but allow an equal, if not superior, degree of dignity to 



seems to have been known much earlier than his time, the former. If, whilst we dissect with care the larger 



It is defined by him to signify an animal which, by in- animals, we are filled with wonder at the elegant disposi- 



cisions, is severed into two or more parts. The latter tion of parts, to what a height is our astonishment rais- 



word, insectum, is adopted by Pliny, and was in use ed, when we discover these parts arranged in the least 



among the Latins long before his time, and we find it in the same regular manner I" 



applied in the same sense as the i\r»n» of Aristotle. Insects may be divided into two kinds ; those which 



As the animals of this class constitute the most con- are immediately or remotely beneficial or injurious to 



siderable portion of animated beings, it becomes one of mankind. Many insects certainly seem not to affect us 



the most interesting and important sciences which can in any manner; others, and by far the greater number, 



engage the mind of the philosopher. The extreme dif- most assuredly fall under one or the other denomination, 



nctilty of discriminating the characters and particular and surely on this account demand our most serious at- 



affinities of these beings, arising from their number and tention ; but, lest our allusion to ,the utility of some in- 



variety of form, in addition to their minuteness, more sects should seem hypothetical to the supeificial ob- 



stromrly claims his consideration. He who neglects the server, whilst the noxious effects of others are too ob- 



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such a man will be partial, and his inquiries circum- bered, that in these ravages they often repay the injury 



scribed ; he regards only an inconsiderable portion of they commit. The locust, the most destructive of all 



■animated nature ; and he confines his remarks to such insects, whose numbers spread desolation through the 



as, from their size and distinctness of character, present vegetable world, are not (except on some occasions when 



the least obstacle to investigation. In the study of ento- their multiplication exceeds all bounds) unproductive oi 



moloffv, the man of science will find abundant scope advantage. Although they deprive mankind of a certain 



for the exercise of his zeal. The amazing number of portion of their vegetable food, yet, in return, their bodies 



species ; their curious forms, so infinitely varied, and afford nutriment of a wholesome and palatable kind, and 



yet so nearly and gradually approximating through an in much greater abundance. 1 he various species ot 



endless series of transitions from one species to another ; locusts are the common food on which the inhabitants of 



the diversity of structure observable in those parts many parts of the world subsist at particular seasons, 



which afford generic characters, added to the wonderful The honey of bees, in many warm climates, constitutes 



changes in form which they undergo, with their surpriz- another primary article of food. I he caterpillars ot 



ine economy,— are circumstances which contribute to several moths furnish materials for the silken raiment so 



render them objects of most curious speculation to the universally worn by all ranks m the eastern parts ot the 



philosopher. And although the study of every class of world; and hence, in these countries, the silky produce 



unimals is most indisputably attended with peculiar ad- of these industrious little animals is of as much use as 



vantages, yet we shall venture to affirm, that it is from the fleecy coat of the sheep is to us. As an object ot 



a knowledge of Vhe characters, metamorphoses, and traffic, silk is one of the utmost importance in China 



various modes of life, these little animals are destined and Tartary ; and, in those parts, paper is manufactured 



to pursue, that he Sll obtain a more intimate acquain- from the refuse of the same material. The extensive 



tance with the grcatWs of nature, and veneration for use of wax, in all ages, is well known; but it is less 



the Great Creator of fal, than can be derived from the generally understood that all wax is not produced by 



contemplation of any o'her class in nature. Many other the bee alone ; the wax-insect of China is a very distinct 



^tractions accompany khe SrmW of this department of animal: (See Cicada, Index ; and Donovan s Insects of 



science The beauty it insects ,.. -,ncval, renders China). Some insects are used with success in medi- 



rl pm ensratrin" to many who have neithci ♦imc nor cine; and many others (the cochineal, for instance,) are 



•rlination fov studying 'their more complicated stfcic- rendered useful in the arts: and greater numbers might 



and the eaietv ot their colours, often combined p-vhaps also be employed for the same purposes. These 



ost eracii'ul forms, displays a beauty, splen- few, Ouv -,r a vast many more instances, are sufficient to 



ivv-^y. greater than that bestowed by the hand prove the absurnUy of an opinion, very prevalent, " tlut 



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