THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 100.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 1858. [Price 1 d. 
NOT TOO PLAIN. 
We were lately asked by an ento- 
mologist, residing in a remote county, 
a few questions connected with the 
craft, which he begged of us to answer 
in the columns of the ‘ Intelligencer,’ 
only “ not too plain.” This really is 
one of the greatest compliments we 
have ever received, for it has been 
our constant endeavour so to condense 
whatever we had to say that, in the 
fewest possible words, we should make 
our meauing abundantly distinct to 
every reader. But this correspondent 
appears to have a Cromwellian hank- 
ering after unintelligible sentences, and 
begs that, when we vouchsafe a reply 
to him, it shall “ not be too plain,” 
thereby implying that our usual 
“ Answers to Correspondents ” are 
rather loo perspicuous, and do not 
sufficiently conceal the simplicity of 
the question that has been pro- 
pounded. 
No doubt we could often dress up 
our replies in a plethora of words, 
which would have the effect of seeming 
very wise and sapient, and would yet 
impart but little satisfaction to the 
mind of the reader; but really we 
are not aware that this would answer 
any good purpose, and therefore our 
correspondents must still look to have 
the answers as plain as we can make 
them. 
We believe it is often a real ser- 
vice so to frame a reply to a question 
that the enquirer shall see not only 
his own shallowness, but ours also, 
otherwise we might get undeservedly 
a character for much greater depth 
than we possess, and then we should 
be haviug more queries forwarded to 
us for solution: some of those we 
receive now, we uncharitably suspect, 
emanate from a desire on the part of 
incipients not to obtain information, 
but to show how remarkably well in- 
formed they already are, and it is 
this sort of enquirers that meets with 
the least degree of sympathy from 
us. 
Any fool can ask questions, which 
no wise man can answer; so that it 
is not by putting posers that wisdom 
is shown. 
Our correspondents may rest assured 
that their communications to us cannot 
be too plain, as we have no especial 
fondness for obscure phrases and in- 
volved sentences, which frequently allow 
of a double interpretation. 
■/. 
