INTRODUCTION. 
In compliance with many and long-repeated requests, 
I have at last, after as many and as repeated demurs, 
made up my mind to write a Natural History of 
British Moths, in hope that the favour shown to my 
former books on kindred subjects may be continued to¬ 
wards the present one. My object throughout has been, 
in all my works, to write for the people at large, and 
to invite to science rather than to deter from it. I 
have both seen and heard enough, and too much, of the 
evil caused by some, who, in the vain and empty de¬ 
sire to be thought scientific themselves, have debarred 
their readers from becoming so. They may please those 
whose own nature leads them to take “ omne iguotum 
pro magnifico,” but I know that they have not had, and 
do not gain, the good will and thanks of the many, 
whose approbation I would rather win. They get no¬ 
thing but contempt from that class which is the largest, 
and for whom I have written and still write. I well 
know that the more involved the mode of dealing with 
a subject, or of setting forth a theory, the greater will 
be the admiration of some for him who treats of the 
oue or propounds the other; while the more clear a 
VOL. i. 
A 
