Ray details at considerable length the various tribes belonging to the four classes of metamorphosis established by Swammerdam[1366]. Most of his tribes indicate natural groups of greater or less value: but some of his larger groups are artificial, as you will see by the mere inspection of the table.

Apoda Terrestia[1367].
Aquatica.
Ametamorphota Terrestia[1368] Majora[1368].
Hexapoda Minora[1369].
Aquatica[1370].
Pedata Octopoda Caudata[1371].
Non caudata[1372].
14-poda.
24-poda.
30-poda.
Terrestia Cylindrica[1373].
Insecta Compressa[1374].
Polypoda
Corpore tereti.
Aquatica[1375] ——— plano.
Bicaudata.
Orthoptera.
Heteroptera.
Metamorphosis semicompleta[1376] Homoptera.
Libellulina.
Ephemerina.
Metamorphumena Coleoptera.
Metamorphosis incompleta vel obtecta Alis farinaceis[1377].
Anelytra Diptera. Gregaria et Favifica Mellifica[1378].
Non Mellifica[1379].
Alis membranaceis
Metamorphosis coarctataMuscidæ et Ichneumones minuti L.[1385] Apiformia[1380].
Vespiformia Breviora[1381].
Tetrapter Solitaria non Gregaria et Favifica Augustiora[1382].
Papilioniformia[1383].
Seticaudæ, seu Tripilia[1384].

This era produced several great and original geniuses, who enriched the science with a vast increment of real knowledge. The illustrious Zoologists whose names it bears,—the one by his dissections and anatomical researches, and the other by his concise and well drawn descriptions of numerous insects, by various interesting observations on their manners and characters, and by the purity of his latinity,—contributed greatly to its progress towards perfection. Leeuwenhoek also, the compatriot of Swammerdam, and Hooke of Ray, amongst other objects submitted to their powerful microscopes, did not neglect insects.—To the former we are indebted for the remarkable discovery that the flea belongs to those that undergo a metamorphosis. Ray had besides two coadjutors whose names ought not to be forgotten,—Willughby and Dr. Martin Lister. The former is characterized by his lamenting friend as one of the profoundest of naturalists, as well as one of the most amiable and virtuous of men. What advantage Entomology would have reaped from his labours may be inferred from the eminent services that he rendered that science, amongst other branches of Zoology, during his short life. It appears from Ray's Letters[1386], that he drew up a history of insects and exsanguia, which probably formed the groundwork of the posthumous Historia Insectorum of that author; concerning which he says, "The work which I have now entered upon is indeed too great a task for me: I rely chiefly on Mr. Willughby's discoveries and the contributions of friends[1387]." And indeed Willughby's name and initials occur so frequently in that work, that it may be esteemed their joint production. Lister by his various writings elucidated many points relating to insects; and he may be regarded as the first modern who observed that spiders can sail in the air. But the most important of his works, and that on which his fame as an Entomologist is principally founded, is his admirable treatise De Araneis; in which his systematic arrangement of these animals leaves far behind all former attempts, and rivals that of the best modern Arachnologists. His specific descriptions are drawn with a precision till then unknown; and each is headed by a short definition of the species, which he calls the Titulus, synonymous with the Nomen specificum of Linné, whose canon of twelve words it rarely exceeds.

One of the most important events of this era was the complete exposure and refutation of the absurd doctrine of equivocal generation, which had maintained its ground in the schools of philosophy from the time of Aristotle. Our own immortal Harvey was the first who dared to controvert this irrational theory: and his dictum—Omnia ex ovo—was copiously discussed and completely established by two of the ablest physiologists that Italy has produced, Redi and Malpighi.

Previously to the publication of the Historia Insectorum, no other works of eminence, with the exception of Madam Merian's beautiful illustration of the metamorphosis of the insects of Surinam, made their appearance: but in the interval of twenty-five years, which elapsed between the publication of that work and of Linné's first outline of his Systema Naturæ, Entomologists became more numerous and active. In England the pious and learned author of the Physico and Astro-Theology was celebrated for the assiduity with which he studied insects; and in the former of these works has concentrated a vast number of interesting observations connected with their anatomy and history. No Englishman contributed more to the progress of Natural History, both as a writer and collector, than that disinterested physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane, whose extensive and valuable library and well-stored cabinets formed the original nucleus of the present vast collection of the British Museum. Amongst other departments, that of insects was not overlooked by him; and it is to be regretted that those which he had accumulated have either perished from neglect or are not accessible. Other Entomologists were eminent at this period in Britain. The principal of these were Petiver, Dale (to whom Ray bequeathed his collection of insects), Bobart, Bradley, and Dandridge; the last of whom, as Bradley tells us, delineated and described 140 species of spiders.

I must not omit here to observe that our Royal Society, the origin of which took place in this era, communicated a new and powerful impulse to the public mind in favour of Physical Science, and greatly accelerated the progress of Natural History. It acted not only as a centre of excitement which stimulated to exertion, but also as a focus to collect the scattered rays of light before they were dissipated. Insulated observations in every department of nature were thus preserved; and communications from the most eminent naturalists in various parts of Europe ornamented its Transactions. So that from the establishment of this illustrious Society, the triumphant march of Physical Science of every kind towards its acme may be dated.

4. Era of Linné, or of the Alary System. We are now arrived at that period in the history of Natural Knowledge, especially of Entomology, in which it received that form, with respect to its general outline, which, amidst many lesser mutations, has been preserved ever since. Swammerdam had altogether deserted the system of Aristotle, and Ray mixed it with that of his predecessor. But a brilliant star soon appeared in the North[1388], which was destined to be the harbinger of a brighter day than had ever before illuminated the path of the student of the works of God. The illustrious philosopher whose name distinguishes this new era, imbibed a taste for Entomology almost as early as for Botany[1389]; and though the latter became his favourite, and absorbed his principal attention, he did not altogether neglect the former. In the first edition of his Systema Naturæ, published in 1735, and contained in only fourteen folio pages[1390], he began to arrange the three kingdoms of nature after his own conceptions. But this initiatory sketch, as might be expected, was very imperfect; and with respect to insects, instead of an improvement upon his predecessors, was extremely inferior to what Ray had effected; for he puts into one Order (to which he gives the name of Angioptera) the Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera. In this work, however, Generic Characters were first given. In successive editions he continued to improve upon this outline: in the fourth he finally settled the number and denominations of his Orders; and in the twelfth (uniting the Orthoptera, which he had at first considered as of a Coleopterous type, to the Hemiptera) also their limits. His system, being founded upon the absence or presence and characters of the organs for flight, is in some degree a republication of the Aristotelian, and may be called the Alary System.

Superior crustaceous with a straight sutureColeoptera1.
4. semicrustaceous, incumbentHemiptera2.
All imbricated with scalesLepidoptera3.
Wings membranous—Anusunarmed Neuroptera4.
aculeate Hymenoptera5.
2.Poisers in the place of the posterior pairDiptera6.
0.Or without either wings or elytraAptera7.

In considering this table, it must strike every one acquainted with the subject, that although the assumption of a single set of organs whereon to build a system can scarcely be expected to lead to one perfectly natural, yet that the majority of the groups here given as Orders merit that character. The second indeed and the last require further subdivision, and concerning the fourth no satisfactory conclusion has yet been drawn. With regard to his series of the Orders, it is mostly artificial. Linné has the advantage of all his predecessors in giving clearer definitions of his Orders, and in their nomenclature; in which he has followed the path first trodden by Aristotle.