TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Some minor changes to the text are noted at the [end of the book].
The new original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.
Errata listed in front matter have been applied to the book.
Plates have been moved to be adjacent to the description of the species which they represent. Larger, higher-resolution versions of the plates may be seen by clicking (High Resolution Image) below them.
THE
English Moths and Butterflies:
Together with
The Plants, Flowers, and Fruits whereon they Feed,
and are usually Found.
All Drawn and Coloured in such a Manner, as to represent their several
beautiful Appearances,
Being copied exactly from the Subjects themselves, and Painted on the best
Atlas Paper.
Together with an Attempt towards a Natural History of the said Moths and Butterflies.
This work consists of one Hundred and Twenty Copper Plates, with a particular Account of the Flies represented in the said Plates setting forth the true Times of their Appearance in the Caterpillar, Chrysalis, and Fly State; the most ready Means of finding them; the Method of managing and preserving them; their Ways of feeding; the several Plants they feed on; and, in a Word, everything yet known relating to their Natural History. Together with the Names of the Plants, Flowers, Fruits &c.
The Price of this Work colour’d is Nine Pounds;
Which for the Conveniency of the Buyer is divided into four Parts, and each Part, or any single
Number, may be had separately.
Uncoloured Three Pounds Thirteen Shillings and Sixpence, or Two Shillings and Sixpence
each Number.
The Natural History by itself Ten Shillings and Sixpence.
LONDON;
Printed for, and Sold by BENJAMIN WILKES, the Proprietor, in Fleetstreet.
TO
MARTIN FOLKES, Esq; President,
And to the
COUNCIL and FELLOWS of the
ROYAL SOCIETY
OF
LONDON.
Gentlemen,
I Humbly take the Liberty to address this Work to You, and presume to hope, from Your exact Knowledge of the Subjects it contains, and Your having been pleased to countenance the several Parts of it, as they were published, with Your Acceptance and Approbation, that You will not, now they are put together, deny them the Honour of Your Patronage.
The Institution of Your Society for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, must render it not improper to lay before You every Attempt towards such Improvement. On the contrary, You have a sort of Right to expect, that every Author in Natural History, should submit his Labours to Your Examination, and think himself happy if they will stand the Test of Your Judgment.
The Animal and Vegetable Parts of the Creation afford endless Stores for the Enquiry and Entertainment of the curious Naturalist: and some of the most beautiful of each Sort, are here presented to the Eye, in their true Size, Form, and Colour. Nor will it be objected by You, that too much Time and Pains has been bestowed on a Company of Insects, which few People trouble themselves about; for true Philosophy teaches, that the meanest thing God has made, is not below the Dignity of the most exalted of mortal Men to consider. But the Creatures here exhibited, are adorned with such a Variety of Beauty to engage our Notice, and undergo such amazing Changes in their Form and Appearance, that a thinking Mind can hardly avoid regarding them with uncommon Pleasure and a more than ordinary Attention.
Little, perhaps, is wanting to make the Study of Nature universally pursued, than to render it easy and intelligible; for, surely, the Understanding God has given us, can never be more properly employed, than in examining and considering those Proofs of his Divine Goodness and Power, which are placed every where around us. This is a most reasonable and satisfactory Entertainment; and I am fully persuaded, many of You, Gentlemen, have often experienced more real Pleasure from such Examinations, than those who know nothing of them can possibly conceive.
My Attempt towards a Natural History of the English Moths and Butterflies, (which is here added to the Paintings of them) wherein they are divided into Classes, and their several Progressions and Changes from the Egg to the Fly-state are described, (and that not from Books or Conjectures, but from actual Experiments and close Observation) will, I hope, meet with Your Approbation.
But not to be longer troublesome than to beg Pardon for this Presumption, and with a continual increase of Prosperity and Honour to the Royal Society of London, permit me to subscribe myself,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient,
Humble Servant,
BENJAMIN WILKES.
THE
PREFACE.
The Painting of HISTORY PIECES and PORTRAITS in Oyl being the Profession of the Author of this Work, he frequently found himself at a Loss, in the Course of his Employment, to understand with Certainty what Colours would contrast with and set off each other to the best Advantage; and perhaps had still remained under the same Difficulties, had he not been led by Accident into the Means of learning all this from Nature, which undoubtedly is the best Instructor.
It happened that a Friend invited him one Evening, to bear him Company to a Society named the Aurelian: the agreeable Purpose of which is, to become acquainted with that Part of Natural Philosophy which relates to the Generation and Properties of Insects, of which they have a fine Collection. And here he first saw such Specimens of Nature’s admirable Skill in the Disposition, Arrangement, and contrasting of Colours (particularly amongst the Moths and Butterflies) as struck him with Amazement, and convinced him, at the same Time, that studying them would turn greatly to his Advantage.
With this View he desired to become a Member of the Aurelian Society, and soon after had the Honour to be admitted; when, by his own Diligence, together with the genenerous and kind Assistance of some Gentlemen of the Society, it was not long before he had acquired a tolerable Collection of English Moths and Butterflies; and for ten Years past his leisure Hours have chiefly been employed in the collecting and making Drawings of the different English Caterpillars, Aureliæ or Chrysalides, Flies, &c. that he could any Ways obtain; and in making such Observations and Remarks thereon as shall now, with all Submission, be laid before the Publick.
He has been greatly assisted in this Work by that well-known and ingenious Naturalist, Mr. Joseph Dandridge; to whose noble Collection he had free Access during his Life-time, and also the Liberty of making what Use he thought fit of his curious Remarks on these Subjects, which were the Fruits of no less than forty Years Experience. And he is still favoured in the like Manner by his Successors, as often as he finds Occasion.
Respect to the Memory of this valuable and worthy Man, will not suffer him to omit this Opportunity of giving him the Character that is most justly his due, viz. That he was a Person of unbounded Curiosity, and unwearied Application in his Researches into the Works of Nature; in the Study of which all those Hours were employed that could be spared from his immediate Business; by which Means, during a long Life, he had not only got together a great Variety of the most rare natural Productions, but also from Time to Time had written down his Observations thereon, which deserve the highest Regard, as his Judgment and Veracity were both without Exception. And, as he loved these Studies himself, he was a zealous Encourager of all that had the same Inclination, whom he was always ready to assist with his laboriously acquired Knowledge.
But to proceed—He must also acknowledge, that in the Course of this Undertaking he has made use of the Drawings of some Caterpillars and Flies which were published not long ago in a curious Work of this Sort, by J. A. Rosel, at Norimburgh, in Germany: But he has taken from him such only as are exactly of the same Species with what we have in England, though we have not yet been so fortunate to meet with them under all their several Changes: what Information that Gentleman has given, as to those Particularities concerning them which we are yet unacquainted with, he therefore judged proper to insert.
As to the Plants, Flowers, and Fruits, he declares himself under the highest Obligation to a most curious Naturalist, and worthy Member of the Royal Society of London, whose costly and valuable Collection is known to the learned World, and esteemed as it deserves. This Gentleman has generously permitted him to make use of many excellent Paintings of these Subjects, which were taken from Nature by those two celebrated Artists Mr. George Dennis Ehret, and Mr. Jacobus Van Heysum, and executed with the utmost Judgment and Command of Pencil, so that he could hardly doubt but that true Copies of them would give great Pleasure to the Lovers of Botany, whom he has endeavoured to entertain with all the Variety he could introduce.
Some Ill-natured People, that love to find Fault with every Thing, have, he hears, objected against the Liberty he has taken, in giving in several of his Plates, Plants, Flowers, and Fruits, that are not in Reality the Food of the Caterpillars therein exhibited; but as the greatest Part of the Caterpillars described in this Work feed chiefly on the Oak, Elm, Black-Thorn, White-Thorn, Willow, and Nettle, all which are separately represented in different Plates, it was judged unnecessary (and would certainly have been tiresom) to repeat those Subjects, as often as different Caterpillars are presented to which they serve for Food: and therefore, instead of so doing, the Author has enriched his Undertaking with some of the most beautiful Productions of Nature in the Vegetable Kingdom: But, however, has not forgot to place the Caterpillars, in most of the Plates, on a small Specimen of the real Plant on which it feeds, as will be properly explained in the Account of each Particular Fly:—and this Care, it is hoped will be an Answer to all unreasonable Cavils.
The Plates are all drawn and etched with his own Hand, in a quite new Manner; whereby every Design, when coloured, appears like a regular Piece of Painting; and the Flies are drawn and Painted with the utmost Exactness, from as fine and perfect Specimens as can be bred. The common Method of amusing the Reader with long Accounts of the Colours and Markings of each Fly is avoided in this Work, as entirely needless, when the Objects are truly represented before his Eyes.
His Classing of the Caterpillars will be found of great Use; for if it be enquired what Fly any Caterpillar that may happen to present itself will produce, by observing its Character you will easily be satisfied (if it is in this Collection) and be likewise taught what its proper Food is, &c. Names are absolutely necessary to distinguish one Fly from another, and enable the Curious in this Study to communicate any Observations they may make; which, without giving Names to the Flies, would be very difficult, if even possible to be done; as they must be greatly at a Loss to make others perfectly understand what Flies they are treating of. The worthy Members of the Aurelian Society, and several other ingenious Gentlemen, have been so sensible of this, that they, from Time to Time, have thought proper to bestow some Name on every Species that has come within their Knowledge.
Indeed Names are arbitrary, and if remembered, and the Intent of them well understood, may, whatever they are, serve the Purpose of giving them: But here, as in every Thing else, a Propriety is to be aimed at, and the Names given ought to denote some distinguishing Particularity, and that the most obvious, in the Subject on which they are bestowed, so as to make the Name, if possible, descriptive of the Thing: Which Rule has been followed as strictly as might be in naming the Moths and Butterflies contained in this Work: that is to say, the Shape, the Colour, the Marking, the Food, or the Place where found is what they are named from. But in doing this, where the Author found them named to his Hands in this descriptive Manner, he has gladly retained the Name they had already, and only presumes to bestow Names himself on such as either had none at all, or which he thought not sufficiently denotative of the particular Flies intended to be known by them.
The Division of the Work into Books and Chapters may need some Explanation, since under some of the Divisions very few, or even but one single Fly is placed; the Reason whereof is, that the Plan here laid down is intended for the Arranging of all the Moths and Butterflies, whose Progression is known at present, or shall hereafter be discovered in England; of which, as the Flies here given are but a small Part, this must be considered but as an Out-line to be filled up occasionally.
It is hoped the Directions here given how to collect the Caterpillars or Chrysalides, how to feed and take Care of them, how to preserve the Flies when bred, and where and at what Times they may be found most easily, will prove both acceptable and useful to every curious Collector; and as the Author thinks himself under great Obligations to the Subscribers to, and Encouragers of this Undertaking, a List of their Names is added as a Memorial of his Gratitude.
These Things being premised, we come now to give a short Sketch of the Natural History of the English Moths and Butterflies in general.
