58 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
very often point out personal blemishes, peculiarities of manner, 
&c. In most cases too the husband tacks his wife's maiden name 
to the end of his. 
This matter of nicknames is just as noteworthy among our 
English fishermen as among our Scotch friends, and as prevalent 
in Plymouth and Cornwall as elsewhere. The peculiarity of 
retaining the name of the mother's side is also common among 
the Cornish fishermen, and is just as marked to-day as it was 
fifty or hundred years ago. 
In the matter of religion I should say that the Scotch fishermen 
are more theological than the English. In fact I have heard 
Scotch fishermen discuss very debateable subjects, such as pre- 
destination, eternal punishment, free-will, God's sovereignty, free 
grace, the eternal sonship of Christ, the larger hope, inspiration 
of the Scriptures, baptismal regeneration, apostolical succession, 
the infallibility of the pope, the personality of the devil, and 
other knotty subjects, with an intelligence almost befitting a 
Professor of Divinity. They are chiefly Presbyterian, which I 
suppose accounts for it. 
In their respective calling these men are alike brave and 
capable. In the hour of danger they are Britons all, as witness 
the valuable services they render with the lifeboats around our 
coast. 
OBSERVATIONS ON INSECT LIFE. 
SYLLABUS OF LECTURE BY G. C. BIGNELL, F.E.S. 
(Read 9th February, 1888.) 
The great divisions of Entomology. Is there any advantage in 
the study ^ Is it necessary to collect insects'! Do insects feel 
pain? A glance at the beetles, earwigs, cockroaches, case worms, 
butterflies, moths, dragon-flies, ichneumons, two-winged flies, fleas, 
and mites. 
