PREFACE. 
AFTER so many years spent in the production of this work, 
to enter into any explanation of its objects or of its usefulness 
may appear to many unnecessary, especially to those fellow- 
travellers who have accompanied me on my route ; but in 
order that the former may not be misunderstood nor the 
latter overlooked, by those less intimately acquainted with 
the subject, it has been thought advisable to offer a few re- 
marks on those heads, as well as to give an account of its 
origin and progress. 
Some years before peace opened to this country the stores of 
the Continent of Europe, I had studied and admired the clas- 
sical “ Genera crustaceorum et insectorum” of Latreille, the 
utility of which was so manifest, that a translation of it was 
suggested by several talented scientific men connected with 
the “ Entomological Society of Norwich this first led me to 
consider the best means of supplying a work which might be 
equally useful to my fellow-labourers at home, and the result 
was a determination of preparing for the press an “ Illus- 
trated Genera of Insects.” After a period of several years, 
during which I never lost any opportunity of adding to my 
materials, I found them increase so rapidly, that it appeared 
necessary to confine myself to the “ Genera of British In- 
sects with this view I took immediate steps for the publica- 
tion of my work, which commenced on New-year’s day, 1824. 
That the investigation of Genera must be of the first im- 
portance cannot be denied, for without a knowledge of such 
groups, it is impossible for any one to gain a correct know- 
ledge of species ; as well might a person expect to be able to 
write, before he had learned the first rudiments of a language, 
or to solve a problem, being ignorant of the principles of ma- 
thematics. If this be admitted, it is unnecessary to dwell much 
upon the importance of having Genera correctly investigated 
and described. This has been attempted in the present un- 
dertaking, and although I have selected the works of my 
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