THE 
WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
“ ENTOMA QUIDQTJID AGUNT NOSTRI EST FARRAGO LIBELLI.” 
No. 2.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1862. [Price 2d. 
MAETYES TO ENTOMOLOGY. 
since the time of Linnaeus, 
Entomology has had its Martyrs, 
and it has them now. In fact there 
are but few true-hearted lovers of Na- 
ture, who have not at some time of 
their lives undergone persecution in 
• some shape or other for the sake of 
their favourite study. "Who has not 
heard the rude jest of the vulgar, or 
* 
the refined pleasantry of the edu- 
cated, at the expense of the man who, 
for the cause of which he is so stead- 
fast a supporter must now and then 
appear somewhat eccentric to his 
fellowmen ? Who among the valiant 
army of Entomologists, has not had to 
sustain the charge of an infuriated 
game keeper, or a churlish farmer? 
Never, however, has such an or- 
ganized aggression been made on the 
rights of Entomologists, not to say of 
Englishmen, as by the lately passed 
act of parliament, in accordance with 
which any one seen in the neighbour- 
hood of an enclosure after sunset, may 
be taken into custody at the mere 
caprice of any policeman who may 
happen to see him. There can be 
little fear that such an arbitary 
measure, infringing so materially 
the right and freedom of the subject, 
can often be enforced, or if it be en- 
forced, the act must soon be repealed . 
We mention it here however, as 
one of the many instances in which 
the interests of the nobility cross those 
of Entomology. Nor is it to our pur- 
pose to inquire whether the present 
Act of Parliament be in reality aimed 
against Poachers or Naturalists, siuce 
the effect is, in either case the same, 
as regards both the one class and 
the other. We cannot indeed blame 
the nobleman for his interests being 
at variance with our own, but we 
may find fault with the means he 
uses for the furtherance of his own 
interests, especially if those means 
consist in engaging the services of 
the police to keep innocent people 
in bodily fear. We would not how- 
ever be misunderstood. It would 
ill become an Entomologist to be a 
democrat Great as is the harm and 
annoyance which the aristocracy in- 
flict on us, it is as nothing beside the 
wholesale and sweeping attacks of the 
democracy. The Earl and the Squire, 
indeed throw every obstacle they can 
in the way of our getting insects : but 
the railway capitalist, the farmer, the 
