OS’ -INSECTS IN GENERAL. 
318 
Sect. II. — T he Literary Hzjlory of Entymology . 
J HE clafs of infers, although by far the moft numerous 
in the animal kingdom, the moft remarkable for its ef- 
fects on the objects of human induftry, and perhaps the 
moft important in the economy of nature, was long be- 
fore it attrafted any confiderable degree of attention from 
men of learning. Hardly any attention was bellow- 
ed on entymology by any of the writers of antiquity. 
Arijlotle , that father of naturalifts, has allotted but a 
fmall portion of his works to the hiftory of infects; nor 
does it appear that he has been always fufficiently atten- 
tive to the authorities upon which he inferts the different 
fa£ts he relates, or to the order in which they are ar- 
ranged. It is known, that Alexander his pupil furnilh- 
ed him with confiderable fums to be employed in the va- 
rious refearches neceffary for the compilation of bis hif- 
tory of animals ; and it is not improbable, that many 
perfons were engaged in different parts to procure him 
the different fpecies, and to furnilli him with fuch obfer- 
vations on their hiftory as fell not within the r*ach of 
his own knowledge. From feveral of the fafts which he 
has related, we are led to fuiped, that thefc men were 
not altogether qualified for the talk in which they were 
employed. The arrangement followed by the Grecian 
naturalift feerrjs as defeifive as the authorities upon which 
his 
