In 1735, the illustrious Swedish naturalist Linnxus, published the first edition of his Systenia Nature, sive Regna trio Nature Systenzatice proposita per classes, or dines, genera et species, in which work he distributes in sects into four orders, according to the number and form of their under the names, -1. Coleoptera ; 2. .4n gioptera ; 3. Hemiptera; 4. .4fitera. In the first, are contained those whose wings are covered ; the second, those with naked or uncovered wings, as butterflies, dra gon flies, ephemera:, &e.; the third, locusts, bugs, &c.; the fourth, those without wings, as lobsters, spiders, lice, &cc. Besides these, several animals, which, in later edi tions of the work, Lints us considered as vermes, were included. These were the earth-worm (Lumbricus,) the leech (Ilirudo,) all land and sea shells, and star fish (Asterias,) sea-egg (Ec/zinus.) &c.; and in this ar rangement he by no means deviated from the received opinions of his time. In the subsequent editions of hie work, these orders arc divided, and the vermes arc se parated ; and, after the manner of Aristotle, arc consi dered as forming another class. His final arrangements we shall notice when speaking of his last (1'2th) edition. Sec the year 1767. And in the same year at Upsal, Acta Liscraria Scientiarunz Suecie.
In 1736, all the works of were put to press, entitled Bibha Xaturcc, sive Historia Insectorum Belgic, cum vrrsione Latina, H. D. Gaubri, et vita auc toris, per Hoernaave. The first volume appeared in 1737, and the second in the year following.
In 1738, Lesser published a work, entitled, F. C. Les sers Insecto-Theologia, oder Vernunft-und Schriftmassi ger Vrrsuch cin mensch (lurch aufmercksame Be trachtung dcrer sonst gym; geachtcien Inseam, &c. Frankfort and Leipzig, in octavo. This weak has never conic under our inspection. We have, however, no ticed a French trauslation, which appeared in 1742, at some length.
In 1739, Linne produced two entomological tracts, • entitled, Ora Renarus Bremskulor i Lapland; the other dated Stockholm, Tal om 111iirkwardightcr uti Insec t erne.
Also at Stockholm, in octavo, Acta Holmenscs, Sven ska Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar.
And Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps Academiens Halingar. Stockholm, in octavo.
In 1740, the folio work of L'Admiral, entitled, Xaaw keurige lVaarneemingen van Gestaliverwisselentle gekor wene Diertjes, was published at Amsterdam. It contains a series of highly finished etchings, which are distinctly copied by Harris in his Aurelian. This work is confined to the insects of Europe, and contains figures of about fifty of the larger species, principally of lepidoptera, which are represented in various attitudes, with large branches of the plants on which they feed, generally ac companied with their larva and pupa. It began in num bers, and was intended to contain one hundred plates, and four hundred pages of letter-press, but the work was discontinued. Most copies of the work contain twenty-five plates, and five pages of print ; but Mr Do novan's copy, which is the most complete that we have seen, contains thirty-two plates, and twenty pages.
In 1741, Schaffer published a valuable work, under the title, Icones Insectorum circa Ratisbonam Indigeno rum, in three volumes quarto, with a vast number of co loured plates. The classification of this author differs extremely from that of Linnaeus, and approaches that proposed by Geoffroy, yet it is so far distinct, that being a system of considerable repute, it may not be amiss to present an outline of it in this place. He divides insects
into seven orders, which he terms classes : 1. Insecta Coleoptero-macroptera, those with their ely tra crustaceous throughout their whole length, and ex tending beyond the abdomen when closed.
2. Insecta Coleoptero-microptera, those with crusta ceous elytra shorter than the abdomen.
3. Insecta Coleoptero-hymenoptera, such as have their clytra half crustaceous, or becoming membranaccous towards their extremities.
4. Insecta Hymcno-lepidoptera, insects having trans parent or membranaccous wings, imbricated with scales.
5. Insecta Hymeno-gymnoptera, those with naked mcmbranaceous wings.
6. Insccta Diptera, or insects with two wings.
7. Insecta Aptera, or those without wings.
In 1742, a French work, being a translation of Les scr's Insecto-Theologia, with remarks by Lyonnet, enti tled, Thcologie des Inscctes, uu Demonstration des Per fections de Dieu dans tout ce qui concerne lea Insectes. Traduit de L'Allemand de Mr Lesser, avec des remarques de Mr Lyonnet, a la Haye, octavo, appeared. The ori ginal work we have never seen; it appeared in 1738. The views of the author are to promote of God ; nor did he in any degree attempt to establish any new facts relative to entomology, but directed his attention to the collection of such anecdotes relative to the natural history of insects, as could be rendered a convenient me dium for the theological remarks with pages abound. To the entomologist the work is of no use; for his knowledge was but limited, and his remarks often erroneous. As a theological production, however, it may have an useful tendency, as it is calculated to expose the glaring errors of others, who, with a fanatic spirit, had entered on the same subject. One of the best chapters relates to the abuse of insects in theology. I lc says, the Jews are accused of stating many wonderful things rela tive to insects, which can only be considered as fables. Amongst many instances, after repeating the text, Kings i. 6, 7, concerning the erection of the temple, (" And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone, made ready before it was brought thither : so that there was neither hammer nor ax, nor any tool of iron heard in the house, whilst it was building,") he states, that the Jews explain this passage in the following manner : The work men (they say) employed a worm to shape the stones ; which insect, named Schamir, cut and broke them to pieces in places where applied. They add, that it was " figured like unto a grain of barley," and was kept in a leaden box, "because had it reached rocks, it would have cleft them, so as to unfit them for use." This fable, with many others equally absurd, invented by the rabbis, is particularly mentioned. Amongst the legends of Catho lic superstition, too, he selects several anecdotes equally fraught with folly, which, if really believed in the time of Lesser, will excuse. him (he being a divine) for ap plying his time to the exposure of such gross tics. Two of these anecdotes we shall take the liberty of inserting. Baldus relates, that a number of bees acci dentally passing over holy ground, paid it homage, and carried a portion respectfully to their hive ; and it is stat ed that St Francis, when walking in his garden, saw a grashopper, which immediately pitched on his hand, and, at his command, sung psalms and praises to God.