THE EMTOs'^OLOGiST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 236.] SATUEDAY, APEIL 13, 1861. [Price Id. 
METHOD. 
Nothing considerable can be accom- 
plished without method. But how 
I many of our readers are pursuing 
i their entomological operations methodi- 
cally ? 
! You wish to work at some particular 
j group ; you find out the authors who 
! have treated thereon, and you compare 
I and collate their observations : then 
you want additional observations; you 
!i make some yourself, but you want others 
!| to assist you. Ask for help — ten to 
I I one you will get it. But you exclaim 
who are you to ask.^ How are you 
to find out what everybody knows, so 
as to ascertain who it is that does know 
what you want to know. A curious 
problem certainly, but not so very diffi- 
cult of solution. 
. Let us reflect on the kindred opera- 
I tion of fishing: the angler is desirous 
of catching a trout, and some trout is 
I ready to be caught, but the angler 
; does not know which trout is in that 
condition. A bait is placed at the end 
j of a line and thrown into the river — 
offered to the general view of the whole 
trout community; some take no notice 
of it ; others think about it, yet let it 
pass ; but in all probability one trout 
takes the bait and is hooked ! 
The entomologist who is wishing for 
information on any point should pro- 
ceed in a similar way; he should offer 
to the general view of the entomological 
public some notice of the observations 
he has made, pointing out wherein 
they are defective; it is quite possible 
that some entomologist, whom he would 
never have thought of asking, will rise 
to the bait and give the desired in- 
formation. 
We have so frequently obtained valu- 
able information ourselves by proceeding 
in this way that we cannot too earnestly 
press it upon the attention of those who 
really are disposed to work. 
Bring the subject, we should say, 
before the public and keep it there ; 
press it from time to time in different 
ways, just as the angler drops in his 
line again at a fresh place. Constant 
dropping of water will wear away stone, 
and now that the larva of Micropleryx 
has been discovered we may be quite 
sure that there is no problem in Ento- 
mology insoluble. 
c 
