Index entomologicus, or, A complete illustrated catalogue, consisting of upwards of two thousand accurately coloured figures of the lepidopterous insects of Great Britain / by W. Wood.

  • Wood, W. (William), 1774-1857.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Index entomologicus, or, A complete illustrated catalogue, consisting of upwards of two thousand accurately coloured figures of the lepidopterous insects of Great Britain / by W. Wood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/578
    mark or a letter of the Alphabet is added after the number engraved on the Plate. Thus a indicates an Insect an inch and a quarter wide; « + an inch and a half; a + an inch and three quarters ; h two inches; c three inches, and so on: n denotes Insects of the natural size; and m such as are magnified. For example: in PL I., fig. 1. is three inches and three quarters wide when expanded; fig. 2. two inches and a half; fig. 70. PI. III. is the natural size, and all in PI. XLIII. are magnified. The great expense attending works on Natural History, where the subjects are accurately drawn and coloured, has in a considerable degree confined the sale to persons of optdence, and prevented that general access to figures which is so essential to the promotion of the science. In the present Work this objection is removed, since the- figures, (excepting those on royal paper,) though drawn and coloured with the greatest possible care, do not exceed one penny each ! It now only remains for us gratefully to acknowledge the ready assistance we have received from several scientific gentlemen, and most especially from J. F. Stephens, Esq., to whom we cannot suffi- ciently express our thanks for his unwearied assistance throughout the Work, and for the liberal manner in which he placed his invaluable Collection at our service, notwithstanding the risk of injury occa- sioned by the removal of the different Insects from Camberwell to London. To the kindness of J. G. Children, Esq., of the British Museum, we are much indebted, not only for a ready access to his Collection, but also for permission to refer to his valuable Entomological Library. To John Curtis, Esq., we are also greatly indebted for permission to make drawings from any of his rare and beautiful specimens we might require, and occasionally to use his most elegant work on the Genera of Insects found in Great Britain and Ireland. We have sincerely to thank Messrs. Bentley and Chant for the loan of many very fine specimens of the British Lepidoptera from their valuable Cabinets ; and our acknowledgments are also due to Edward Newman, Esq., for the use of some of the very rare British species. Tavistock Street, Covent Garden.