The butterfly vivarium, or, Insect home: being an account of a new method of observing the curious metamorphoses of some of the most beautiful of our native insects. Comprising also a popular description of the habits and instincts of many of the insects of the various classes referred to; with suggestions for the successful study of entomology by means of an insect vivarium / by H. Noel Humphreys ... Illustrated with coloured engravings.

  • Humphreys, Henry Noel, 1810-1879.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The butterfly vivarium, or, Insect home: being an account of a new method of observing the curious metamorphoses of some of the most beautiful of our native insects. Comprising also a popular description of the habits and instincts of many of the insects of the various classes referred to; with suggestions for the successful study of entomology by means of an insect vivarium / by H. Noel Humphreys ... Illustrated with coloured engravings. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    by the vminitiated are exhibited as naturally and strikingly as if seen in their native depths, have, it must be admitted, given quite a neAV stimulus to this class of study. At the same time, it was beginning to be felt that the field of study was, to a certain extent, of a limited character, and a strong desire was manifested that the sphere of research of that class should be extended, and the subjects varied. In order to gratify this longing for an extended range of observation, I propose, by somewhat simi- lar means, to afford equal facilities for pursuing a course of study in an entirely different field; and with this view I am about to describe a novel kind of Vivarium, by means of which another and very distinct class of animal life—that of the “ world of insects”—may be made to exhibit its wonders as conveniently and instructively as those of the Algce, and Zoophytes, and Molluscs of the river or the ocean have been shown in a well-ordered Aquarium. The nature of the very simple structure by means of which this is to be effected, will be de- scribed after I have put in my plea concerning the interest of the living objects, whose curious habits and wonderful metamorphoses it is intended to display.