REVIEWS. 
81 
The Butterflies of Great Britain. By J. 0. Westwood, F.L.S., &c. 
With coloured Plates. 8vo. London: W. S. On* and Co., Pater¬ 
noster-row. 1855. Price 15s. 
We have read of two good hermits who lived together, and never fell out, 
until, weary of being so unlike the rest of mankind, they agreed together to 
have a quarrel as other men had; but, being unused to the thing, no better 
way occurred to these simple-hearted men than to place a stone between 
them, and for one to say, “ This is mine,” and the other, “ Nay, it is 
mineand so they hoped to get up a quarrel. The present work bids 
fair to rival the reputation of the stone in the legend, though it is not the 
ownership, but the age, of the book which is the grave subject of debate. 
Mr. Bladon, on its appearance, rises up and says, “ This is an old book 
and Mr. Westwood says, “ Nay, it is a new bookand so they have got 
up a very pretty dispute for the columns of the “ Athenaeum.” The end 
of the hermits’ quarrel may not be inapropos—“ Well, brother, if it be 
thine, then take it“ and so,” adds the historian, “ they could not quarrel, 
having been so long accustomed to peace.” Whether the fraternity of 
entomologists be as peaceful naturally as that of the hermits, let those who 
sit in the seat of the judges decide. The joke of the matter is, that in 
this case the dispute was settled ere it was begun. “ It is an old book,” 
says Mr. Bladon. u The proprietor of the work, entitled 1 British Butter¬ 
flies and their Transformations,’ and 1 British Moths and their Transfor¬ 
mations,’ ” says Mr. Westwood, in the first words of his preface, “ hav¬ 
ing determined to re-issue the former,” &c. One calls it an old book, the 
other a re-issue. What are they fighting about, then ? “ If it be old, 
brother, why, then, it is old.” “Nay, brother, if it be a re-issue, then it 
is a re-issue.” Much ado about nothing. The truth is, it is a new edition, 
considerably improved, with certain valuable additions, and the results of 
the experience of the years that have elapsed since its first appearance. At 
the same time, in order to reduce the bulk and price of the work, many 
omissions have been made, but not of “ any important or necessary infor¬ 
mation.” We commend the story of the hermits to the consideration of 
the combatants, and retire ourselves from the lists, with the single remark, 
VOL. ii. G 
