In fine, the limits of this preface will not permit me to dwell minutely, and point out the benefits mankind does, and may receive, by the institution of this order of animals. I shall again refer my reader to the book I mentioned before, "Stillingfleet's Tracts;" where he will find these and many other advantages I have not mentioned, treated of in a most ingenious manner; being the observations of some of the greatest men of the university of Upsal in Sweden; for this reason, therefore, I shall consider this subject no farther, but proceed to describe the plan of the work; wherein, if the reader expects to find the insects classed in systematic order, as well as represented, he will be greatly disappointed. It is not my present design to enter into the scientific part of the study, by arranging the insects according to any system now established; nor will the reader find that I have given a single name to any one here figured. This, indeed, must be the consequence of not following the system of any author, unless I had formed one of my own; for it is impossible I should give names to them, particularly trivial ones, without doing one or the other. The calling an insect by the general appellation of moth, butterfly, &c. I cannot consider as derogatory to what I have said. Hence I flatter myself I shall avoid all occasion for reflection by the disciples of different authors, in not following the method established by others; and, therefore, my desire of giving no room for exceptions of this kind, has induced me to follow no one whatever. By this, also, I have left it in the power of every person to {xviii}class them according to his own fancy; and, as every one has thus an opportunity of following his favourite author, none, I hope, will object to a method, that will put it in his power of indulging his own inclination. I must here inform my readers, that this work can by no means be considered as a complete one. The most transitory view will confirm this. Nor can I take any merit to myself by its publication, unless the great care that has been taken to give just and accurate figures of the subjects, in which the different generical characters, according to the several authors I am acquainted with, are truly represented, will entitle me to any.