4 
PREFACE. 
which induced me to pay attention to those splendid little 
Fairy-forms ; and by occasionally illustrating a genus I cannot 
but congratulate myself, that it has probably led to the inva- 
luable researches of a Haliday and a Walker : and if we 
compare the excellent Monograph on the Fossorial Hyme- 
noptera by Mr. Shuckard with the “Systematic Catalogue/’ 
the superficial knowledge evinced in the latter work is very 
evident^ although it was published only a few years pre- 
viously. 
In the desultory way in which the “ British Entomology ” 
was presented to the public; I was enabled every few weeks 
to offer my own; or the assistance of others on any genus it 
might be desirable to illustrate; which rendered this work an 
useful medium to the zealous man of science; and made it at 
the same time a record of entomological discoveries for a 
series of years. It was not however from choice but neces- 
sity that the work was not published in systematic order ; for 
my labours no doubt would have done me more credit as far 
as my scientific character was concerned; and I should have 
been free from the charge of many apparent incongruities to 
which I now must plead guilty; when pages written at remote 
periods are brought into juocta position; as they w ill be by the 
systematic arrangement of the work which is now proposed. 
There were also great difficulties to be overcome in the illus- 
tration of groups which had never before been investigated; 
when I was treading on ground as yet unexplored. I should 
also have saved myself incredible labour; which w 7 as incurred 
by going per saltern from one Order to another; for systema- 
tically; the investigation of one genus would naturally have 
led to information on the following groups. The insurmount- 
able difficulty in a linear arrangement w ould have been to 
command the requisite materials; so that the work should ap- 
pear with strict regularity, which could not have been accom- 
plished even by the admission of well-knowm common species 
which were become of no interest, from the repeated investi- 
gations to which as old subjects they had been submitted ; 
and one great advantage undoubtedly attended the miscella- 
neous plan adopted, namely, that a [variety of Orders was 
monthly presented to the public, which led to their immedi- 
ate attention, and thus families became the favourites of En- 
