The imm nmmm.: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. U2. JULY 29th, 1882. Vol. 3. 



WHAT DO WE KNOW. 



DURING the last two weeks we 

 have been endeavouring to im- 

 press on our readers the kind of obser- 

 vations needed to be made. We can 

 but give a hint or two in each paper, 

 and they must fill in all the rest for 

 themselves. What is the object of 

 I publishing observations ? It seems to 

 I us that it is to enable others to know 

 I what you have seen. But, then, if 

 they and everyone else have seen it 

 alrea^dy, it would be no use publishing 

 I it. To record that water wets, and 

 I that fire burns, might once upon a time 

 have been novel observations ; but 

 everyone knows now that they do so, 

 and it is very properly taken for 

 I granted that everyone does know. 

 But there are many matters conp^cted 

 with water and fire that have not yet 

 been discovered, and any new obser- 

 I vatiou on such subjects are as valuable 

 j to-^ay as were the lii'st discoveries of 

 'the properties we have named. So is 

 ,it with natural history. Very many 

 things that were once new discoveries 

 are now known to everyone who luis 



any acquaintance with such subjects. 

 But there is no branch of the subject 

 on which everything is known. No. 

 single animal concerning which there 

 is no more to learn. In fact, on many 

 important matters our knowledge is 

 just in its infancy, and we may well 

 ask ourselves the question "what do, 

 we know ? In the magazines of the 

 day we frequently see an article headed 

 ''Life History of such and such an 

 insect. In many cases this will begin 

 with the depositing of the egg, and 

 trace the insect through every change. 

 Tell how it cuts through the shell; its 

 mode of moulting, and altered appear- 

 ance at each moult; its preparation 

 for pupation, &c., &c. This is all as 

 it should be, but it is not everything. 

 The changes in its progress from the 

 egg to the perfect insect are quite 

 independent of the volition of the 

 animal. The egg hatches as a matter 

 of course ; the appeai;;ince of.the young 

 larva in no way depends uppn itself. 

 As it grows older the moulting, pupa- 

 ting, and appearance" in ^ t1ic , winged 

 st;Ue, all follow in pntural ^ucpession. 

 But what of its life diuring this time? 



