original itself in many places ftood in need of revifion and elucidation. Mr Leffer, though very learned in natural history, had allowed himself to believe too many things on the credit of others. The eftimation in which Lhold this fludy, which is only delightful in fo far as it is true, made me view this; defect with concern in a work which, from its general excellence, might have contributed to perpetuate error; and I refolved to correct thofe paffages in which the author, misled by authority, had been mistaken. To do this, the fimpleft and fhorteft way would have been to alter the text; but I could not allow myfelf to make an author speak contrary to his own fentiments, and therefore had recourfe to Notes. But I have gone farther than I at firft intended. I had no fooner begun to confider the text, than feveral facis partly known and partly new, connected with the fubject, occurred to me; and as they appeared calculated for confirming, explaining, amplifying or limiting what the author expreffes in general terms, I have detailed them, and added various reflections which I hope will not be ufelefs to thofe who mean thoroughly to investigate the fubject. I fhall perhaps receive the thanks of intelligent men for having endeavoured to produce exceptions to the moft general rules; for befides that thofe fingularities, which nature fometimes prefents us with when we least expect them, help us to acquire a more perfect knowledge of infects, they are what in natural history may be called the truly marvellous, which it is now time to fubftitute in the place of what has been falfely fo called, and which has too long prevailed on this fubject. The Reader I hope will give me credit for what I advance; and I ftand the more in need of his indulgence as I have related certain facts which I would myfelf have unwillingly believed had not pofitive experiments convinced me of their truth." THAT this work has not till now appeared in English is owing probably to the following reafons. When it was first pub published the study of infects was little cultivated in Britain; the fyftem of Linnaeus, which reduced the chaos into order, was not yet perfected, and our language had not yet formed and adopted a number of words and terms which it was neceffary fhould be current before a translation could be attempted. Even at this day the want of terms is probably the reafon why the excellent publications of Reaumur, De Geer, and many others, are still only known in this country in their original language. In this refpect the translator of the work now fubmitted to the, Public, muft likewife throw himself on the indulgence of the Reader. For many terms. he has been obliged to make ufe either of the Latin or the French word; but he hopes never except when thefe words are perfectly well underflood, and have become, through ufe, inoffenfive to the English ear. But what no doubt chiefly tended to obstruct the translation of the book into English was, the difficulty of afcertaining the identical infects which the authors mention by local names without fufficient defcriptions. It is not a mere knowledge of the languages in which the book was originally written, nor a mere acquaintance with the fubject, that can enable a translator to overcome this difficulty. He must have an opportunity of confulting a variety of books, feldom to be met with in private libraries, and fome of them rare even in the best public collections in this kingdom. The chief value of the prefent performance to naturalifts will therefore confift in its identifying the greater part of the infects by the Linne name, an advantage which they well know how to appretiate. It must be mentioned that as the original werk was publifhed before the accurate de finition of an infect was given by Linnæus, the word is ufed much more loosely than at prefent. By Leffer all the animals that compofe Linnæus's clafs of Vermes are called infects; and even Lyonet, who defines an infect to be an animal with an external skeleton, gives the fame name to fnails. The Naturalift, accustomed to the ftrict acceptation of the term will revolt at this inaccuracy; but it was thought better to retain the expreffion, than to facrifice the obfervations and reflections it ferves to introduce. It was fuggefted to the translator, that by using the information contained in the following pages, along with the materials afforded by modern difcoveries, an altogether new work might be constructed, with more unity in the plan and more precision in the execution. But not to mention that fuch a proceeding would have implied an intention to rob the original authors of their juft fame, he thought that it would be agreeable to many readers to see their different fentiments on the fame fubjects, and that the work would ftill be interesting in its prefent form, as marking an æra in the history of the knowledge of infects. As the claffical works of Ray and Derham on PhyficoTheology are known and admired by all; this performance, being an enlarged difcuffion of a topic which they touch upon but slightly, feemed to have fome chance of a favourable reception with the public. Those who have been deterred from the study of infects by the idea that they are a loathfome and noxious part of the works of creation,will here, it is hoped, find arguments to convince them of their mistake. The principal propofition maintained by the author will likewise, no doubt, with some have its effect, for whatever weight may be thought due to the reasoning of Leffer, by the philofophers of the prefent day, the fincerely pious will give him credit for his intention, and may profit by his zeal. The Notes are placed by themselves, with proper references, at the end of the book, that they might not crowd the pages, nor tend to interrupt the reader in following the train of thought purfued by the author. Thofe Those Notes to which an Asterisk is prefixed are by the Author, and a few of them which it was not thought neceffary to particularize, by the Translator. In this age of refinement and faftidious criticism, when all performances fubmitted to the public eye are expected to be finished in the highest degree, the style of this translation, we fear, will hardly stand the teft; but if it wants the energy and spirit of the original, it is hoped it will not be found deficient in faithfulness and perfpicuity. |