The sun of truth must however finally prevail, and there is every reason to think it has already broke, and will gradually disperse these mists of prejudice. It is however much to be regretted, that our public institutions are wholly inadequate to facilitate not only the advancement of students, but the researches of those who are already engaged in prosecuting their inquiries: in Scotland alone are founded any Professorships of Natural History, and the establishment of our National Museum (in this branch only) is confessedly difficult: materials for study are more necessary in this science than any other; yet the public Institutions and libraries of the metropolis, "rich and rare" in every other department of knowledge, in most instances are deficient in this of the most elementary books; setting aside those of illustration, which, from being unavoidably expensive and within the reach of few purchasers, are more particularly adapted for such general repositories of learning. The protracted ill-health of its noble possessor, was the cause no doubt of the Banksian magnificent library being left deficient in several of the latest continental works; and that of the British Museum I have reason to think is still more defective. To the honour however of the keepers of the Bodleian and Radcliffe Libraries, it should be mentioned, that no pains or expense have been spared to render them as perfect in this branch as possible; and we have been told that the latter particularly is the most magnificent in the kingdom.
We shall now as briefly as possible advert to the contents of this volume.
In the Ornithological department the systems of Cuvier and Temminck have mostly superseded all others: as a whole, we give a decided preference to the latter, as being more natural, though it may be doubted if the generic distinctions are not too few, while those of Cuvier are too many: both however can be considered only as sketches, subject to improvement--as natural affinities are more studied.
Regarding that part of our work which relates to Entomology, we have given a decided preference to the Lepidoptera, for the simple reason that this order has received less attention from all writers, concerning their real characters and affinities, than any other; indeed they have been most unaccountably neglected even by Latreille, the great founder of the modern school: we have therefore thought it necessary to propose in this department many new genera, and only have to regret that their definitions could not be made more perfect without the destruction of the specimens, frequently not our own, and which therefore was unattainable: a more extended knowledge of the natural affinities existing in this tribe, will alone confirm or annul the propriety of these distinctions.