t as apologist for the "brotherhood of the net,"
myself included.

In the first place, I will state roundly my sincere belief that _insects
cannot feel pain_. This is no special pleading, or "making the wish the
father to the thought," {51} but a conviction founded on an ample mass of
evidence, on my own observations and experiments, and strengthened by
analogical reasoning. I wish I had space to lay this evidence in full
before the reader; but this being here impracticable, I will not damage the
argument by taking a few links out of a chain of facts which depend on
their close connexion with each other for their strength and value.

There is, however, one fact which may be taken by itself, and goes a long
way in our favour, that I must mention here.

Insects, when mutilated in a way that would cause excessive pain and speedy
death to vertebrate animals, afterwards perform all the functions of
life--eating, drinking, &c. with the same evident _gusto_ and power of
enjoyment as before. Plenty of striking instances of this are on record,
and, as an example, I have seen a wasp that had been snipped in two,
afterwards regale himself with avidity upon some red syrup, which, as he
imbibed, gathered into a large ruby bead just behind the wings (where the
stomach should have been); but really the creature's pleasure seemed to be
only augmented by the change in his anatomy, because he could drink ten
times his ordinary fill of sweets, without, of course, getting any the
fuller. I could almost fancy a scientific epicure envying the insect his
ever fresh appetite and gastronomic capabilities.

After all that can be said on this subject, there will still probably be
misgivings in the mind of many, both {52} as to the question of insect
feelings and also as to our right to shorten their existence, even by a
painless death.

As to the first point, we have now the means of giving any insect an
utterly painless quietus, be it capable of feeling pain or no.

In regard to the second, I think few will deny that man enjoys a vested
right to make use of any of the inferior animals, even to the taking of
their life, if the so doing ministers to his own well-being or pleasure,
and practically every one assumes this right in one way or another. Game
animals are shot down (and they assuredly _do_ feel pain), not as
necessaries of life, but confessedly as luxuries. Fish are hooked, crabs,
lobsters, shrimps perish by thousands, victims to our