52 On the Study of Entomology. 



entomology lias become with them a perfect passion : not among 

 mere loiterers and dilettanti, but men high in place and seriously 

 occupied, the most distinguished and the most intelligent. They 

 are a minority, but in this case, as in some others, the opinion of 

 : e minority is to be preferred: and if the public at large cannot 

 understand the existence in sensible men of a taste which it stigma- 

 tizes as childish, this is only because it is not aware of the difficulties 

 or the utility of the pursuit, and most of all because it is ignorant of 

 its pleasures. I shall not repeat any commonplaces about the beauties 

 and wonders which are revealed to us by the study of nature, for I con- 

 sider that the readers of all such papers as find a place in these tran- 

 sactions must be of the number of those who are already touched with 

 the sacred fire, or in whom at least the latent spark requires only to be 

 kindled. I propose to say a few words as to the method and spirit 

 in which this most useful and pleasing kind of knowledge should j 

 be cultivated ; and if anything here suggested has the effect of 

 leading observers in the county of Wilts to apply themselves to some j 

 of the numerous branches of entomology, this appeal, however poorly 

 expressed, will not have been written in vain. 



There are several different aspects in which entomology may be 

 viewed, and consequently several distinct categories of entomologists. 

 It is with the latter that we are concerned just now, and they may 

 be all summed up conveniently under the two headings of collectors 

 and observers. 



The first comprises amateurs, whose amusement it is to make I 

 collections of insects, with no more definite object than inspires 

 collectors of postage stamps, or books unread and unreadable, or I 

 biscuits, or obsolete crockery. They are the happy possessors of 

 cases filled with objects beautiful or ugly, but always curious, which 

 they regard with never-ending delight. " Geux-la ne meritent aucun 

 interet" says a French naturalist ; but I am not at all disposed to I 

 agree with so sweeping a judgment. Whatever may be said of the 

 furor of collection- making in general, the entomological collector at 

 least ought not to be spoken of in terms of disparagement. He is 

 an indispensable factor in natural science, he brings the bricks of 

 which the edifice is to be constructed, and without which the great 



