have at least a tendency, and will, it is hoped, be found
to contribute not a little to the bringing into one view,
faithful and elegant representations of that infinite variety
of shells now distributed in many celebrated cabinets
of Europe; to the illustration of all those beautiful and
curious species of insects found in England, of which
the greater part are either non-descripts, or their figures
hitherto unpublished; and lastly, and principally, to the
founding an Academy of Painters of Natural History,
working on principles which give a transparency, with
richness of colours, and a facility of execution, that are
entirely new; and altogether (it is presumed) redounding
to national credit and honour.
The present volume, therefore, and the subsequent
ones which are to appear, have, in the Author’s mind,
been long intended in the present form to be laid before
the Public, and to accomplish this purpose in its fullest
extent, every endeavour has been exerted for several
years past, to assemble as far as possible all the necessary
objects: the representations of the whole, with a very
few exceptions! being drawn immediately from those
insects which are contained in the Author’s cabinet.
And here it will be necessary to mention, that all
imaginable care has been taken, not to admit the figure
of any one insect into this work, where the least doubt
remained of its being a native of this country. Respecting
the classification, the Author has exerted his utmost
endeavours by a minute investigation of each object (as
far at least as his poor abilities would allow), to place
each individual in the respective order and genus to
which its figure, and peculiar characteristics entitled it, as
laid down in the Linnean System. At the same time,
the Entomologist is acquainted, that to preserve a general
uniformity in the disposition of the figures, no particular
regard has been paid to place together those subdivisions
or sections of genera, as defined in the illustrations
at large; but where an essential difference was
observed in the sexes, or a striking variety in the same
species, strict attention was then had to show that variety,
and also to give both male and female in the