T H E 
WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
ENTOMA QUIDQTJID AGENT NOSTRI EST FARRAGO LIBELLI.” 
No. 14.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1862. [Price 2d. 
SMALL-TALK. 
“ OMALL « TilluEC” * a 
most expressive word for a 
most unexpressive tiling : but like 
many expressive terms it is exceed- 
ingly difficult to define. Indeed like 
the “ scenes ” in newspapers it 
is 
‘ more easily imagined than described,’ 
and no doubt it is used by different 
individuals with very various appli- 
cation. As we understand it, it is 
most often employed to designate 
that class of conversation so preva- 
lent among many of the fair sex, but 
not uncommonly to be heard from 
the mouths of gentlemen in a railway 
carriage. But smali talk may indeed 
be met with in every phase of life. 
For there is a class of men in the 
world, who must needs be talking, 
so long as they possess the requisite 
allowance of breath. It matters 
nothing to them whether there is 
anything to talk about or not. Such 
men are perfectly equal to the task of 
talking about nothing at all. For 
when every other subject fails them, 
the state of the weather, their own 
health, or that of their friends, or 
other equally momentous topics are a 
never failing source of material for 
conversation. And if you but broach 
a subject, be they never so 'ignorant 
of it, they will save you the trouble 
of any undue expenditure of breath, 
so long as you are in their company. 
Men of this stamp arc, we must own, 
occasionally great bores. They are 
enemies to reflection, and often have 
the power of rendering themselves 
very obnoxious, especially if (as is 
sometimes, though not often, the case) 
they are not content with talking 
themselves, but insist on their hearers 
taking part in the conversation. 
However on the whole they are use- 
ful members of society, They are 
much sought after by persons who 
are deficient in conversational powers 
themselves, to keep up the life and 
spirit of an evening party; and in- 
deed they often pass for very intelli- 
gent men. In point of fact “ Small- 
talk” cannot be dispensed with at 
all in the present existing state of 
society. It is not however confined 
to the common things of every day 
life. It has found its way into the 
sacred precincts of the temple of 
Science. And even here we may say 
it is not to be dispensed with. What 
should we do without the “ Small- 
talk ” of Entomology. Do we not 
