are two species th a t deserve p articu la r a'ttention. T h e medical precepts o f th e Chine se will certainly
find few votaries in Eu ro p e , b u t as articles o f medicine, amongst o thers, th e Meloe C i-
chorei, w h ich were th e cantharides o f th e anc ients, and are n ow used by th e Chine se, m ay be o f
importance , as it possesses more virtues th a n th e Meloe Ve sicatorius used in our p h a rm a c y ; th e
Curculio regalis, Buprestis v itta ta , and m an y o thers, are also employed in articles o f jewellery in
tlie ea ste rn p arts o f th e world, and may vie w ith th e riche st gems in beauty and splendour.
Th e se ob sen 'a tio n s we pre sumed to offer o n th e Entomology o f C h in a , in submittino- the
De sig n o f th is u n d e rta k in g to th e public. W e have solicitously endeavoured to gra tify th e cu riosity
and expectation such observations were calculated to excite, and tru s t n o t altogethe r u n successfully.
O n th e economical purposes o f th e Chine se Inse cts we can offer little except co n je
c tu r e s ; those m ay , however, assist th e inquiries o f future observers; and th e general reader will
n o t be disposed to regard it w ith less favour, i f novelty and beauty supply th e deficiency o f useful
in fo rm a tio n . I t embraces, in one view, a variety o f th e m o st u n common and brillian.t species o f
th a t fertile region, portrayed in an elegant and faithful m a n n e r; and classically arranged accordin
g to th e favourite system o f L in n c eu s. T h u s , wh ilst o u r E p itom e o f th e Ch in e se Inse cts exh
ib its a splendid display o f th is beauteous race, it m ay insensibly lead to a comprehensive survey
o f th e system itse lf; and, by conveying in stru c tio n in its m o s t pleasing form, facilitate th e study
o f th is ch a rm in g , b u t m u ch neglected science.
F rom its com m en c em en t, th e A u th o r has been encouraged by th e liberal atten tio n o f several
persons, whose name s would reflect h o n o u r on th is u n d erta k in g , were h e a t liberty to mention
th em . H e has already obser\’ed th a t his own collection includes several thousand specimens,
collected b y am a te u rs o f th e first celebrity To th is h e m ay add, th a t every o th e r collection he
was desirous o f co nsulting, has been kin d ly open to his in sp e c tio n ; and every informa tion c om m
u n ic a te d w ith a readiness th a t merits his wa rmest th an k s . A m o n g s t th ese, h e ca n n o t refrain
n o tic in g th e valuable collection o f D raw in g s and MS S before alluded t o ; th e specimens o f I n sects
collected in th e jo u rn e y o f his Excellency E a rl M a c a r t n e y , in th e late embassy to
C h in a ; an d th e very magnificent collections o f M r. F b a n c i l l o n and M r. D r u r y , from
b o th o f w h om h e h ad unreser\'ed permission to figure and describe whatever his own cabinet
could n o t fu rn ish . A n d , finally, he m u s t own h im se lf particula rly indebted to th e favours o f th e
R ig h t H o n . S ir J . B a n k s , B a rt. K .B . whose invaluable c a b in e t and library have afforded h im
every assistance in completing his design, and for w h ich h e begs leave to testify his most g ra teful
acknowledgments.
East India Company, at Madras, and promises to be o f future advantage to the commercial concerns o f Great Britain. We
have been unable to procure any of the Chinese Cochineal insects, and purposely omit that species which Sir G. Staunton has
noticed, because it has no relation to the productions of China.
T6< ¡ale Duchess Dvwager o f Portland, - . Tunstall, £ s ¡ . Governor Holford, Smeethman, Ellis, Keate, Yetxts, Forster, Baily, &c. &c.