A biology of the British Hemiptera-Heteroptera / by Edward A. Butler.

  • Butler, Edward A. (Edward Albert), 1845-
Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A biology of the British Hemiptera-Heteroptera / by Edward A. Butler. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PREFACE As this work is intended to supplement and not to supplant that well-known text-book, Saunders’ “ Hemiptera-Heteroptera of the British Islands,” I have refrained from including descriptions of the perfect insects, except of such as have been added to the British List since 1892, the date of publication of that treatise. The excellent descriptions in “ Saunders ” give, in most cases, all that is needed for identification, but where experience has shown that any of them need some little modification or enlargement, I have en¬ deavoured to make the necessary emendations. My aim has been to gather together into one book all the information that has been amassed by various observers, whether in the British Isles, on the Continent, or in America, about the early stages, the life history, and the habitats, habits, and distribution of our British species. I am, of course, fully conscious of the extent to which the execution of the work falls short of what might be expected from its title ; this imperfection is shown by the very frequent occurrence of the word “ unknown.” But I venture to hope that by calling attention to both what has already been achieved and what still remains to be accomplished, my efforts may be the means of reviving interest in this sub-order, and of stimulating students to undertake such observations as will tend to complete our knowledge of the insects belonging to it. Nature is so wide and so chary of her secrets that it will require the labours of many generations before such an end is fully attained. A word may be said here about the illustrations. Practically all Heteroptera have an equipment of hairs, above and below, and on antennae and legs. These show great diversity in colour, in size and shape (long and short, straight and curved, thick and thin, fine-pointed and blunt), in number and distribution (many and few, closely packed and scattered, continuous and in patches), and so on. They are of great importance in distinguishing species, but they are very small, and unless the drawings were made on a gigantic scale it would be impossible adequately to show their differences. To prevent misrepresentation, therefore, I decided in most cases to omit them altogether, so that students might rely upon combining their use of the compound microscope with a careful study of the text, in order to complete the picture.
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