84 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 23, NO. 4, APRIL, 1921 



The name of W. W. Wood appears as the author of nine of the 

 plates in Say's Entomology; these are of equal quality with the 

 plates drawn by either Peale or Lesueur. It seems possible 

 that these plates may have been prepared by Mr. Wm. Wood, 

 author of "Linnean Genera of Insects," and the beautiful plates 

 of the "Illustrated Catalogue ot the Lepidopterous Insects of 

 Great Bnttam," etc., who was a contemporary of Say and Les- 

 ueur and a most exquisitely skilful draughtsman and engraver. 

 It was Mr. Wood's habit at that time, however, to sign himself 

 ' W. Wood, Junr.," whereas the plates in Say's work are signed 

 " W. W. Wood. " Mr. William Wood's skill with the pencil and 

 graver amounted to real genius, and he was the author of 

 literally thousands of beautiful figures of insects, many of which 

 were drawn directly on copper with the graver. No evidence has 

 been found, however, that Mr. Wood ever visited America. An 

 examination of the city directories of Philadelphia from 1815 to 

 1835 discloses the name of but one W 7 .W. Wood, who is recorded 

 not an an artist but a stationer, located at 88 Walnut Street; 

 however, perhaps he was the author of the plates in question. 

 Who knows?. 



There is a homogeneity of treatment about the entire set of 

 illustrations in Say's work which leads one to suspect that some 

 one artist supervised the reproduction of the original illustra- 

 tions and managed to impart his personal touch to them, 

 although it seems possible that the engraver may have been 

 responsible for this rather stereotyped effect. 



Plates 19 and 33 of Say's Entomology bear the name of H. B. 

 Bridport. Mr. Hugh B. Bridport was born in London, England, 

 in 1794, but emigrated to America in 1816, where he resided 

 principally in Philadelphia. He was a painter of miniature 

 portraits, having studied the art under Mr. C. Wilkin in London 

 as well as at the Royal Academy, and followed this profession in 

 various parts of this country. In 1817 Hugh Bridport estab- 

 lished a drawing academy in Philadelphia in connection with 

 his brother George, where he taught the arts of drawing and 

 water color painting. Shortly afterwards he was associated 

 with the English architect, John Haviland, in a school of archi- 

 tecture and drawing; Mr. Bridport is said to have engraved a 

 very few good portraits in the stipple manner. While we have 

 no positive evidence that Hugh Bridport was the author of the 

 plates in Say's Entomology bearing that name, the information 

 given above makes it practically certain that he should be 

 credited with this work. 



Among the early entomological illustrators, regarding whom 

 little has been published, was Maj. Jno. Eatton Leconte, the 

 father of Dr. J. L. Leconte, the famous Coleopterist. Jno. E. 

 Leconte was born at Shrewsbury, N. J., Feb. 22, 1789, and died 

 at Philadelphia, Nov. 21, 1862 (Appleton's Cyclopaedia), and 



