SOME WORKS ON AMERICAN BUTTERFLIES. 27 



SOME WORKS ON AMERICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



The first important work on American Butterflies was 

 published in England nearly a century ago by Sir Edward 

 Smith, and contained the observations and colored illus- 

 trations of John Abbot, an Englishman some time resident 

 in Georgia. The work* was issued in two folio volumes, 

 but only a part of the first volume treated of butterflies, 

 the remainder relating to moths. Drawings of caterpillar, 

 chrysalis, and butterfly were given in every case, and as a 

 rule they were very well executed. A single page of text 

 accompanied each plate, and 24 plates of butterflies are 

 given, rejoresenting as many species. Many unpublished 

 drawings of Abbot are still preserved, as he supported him- 

 self by their sale and was a most industrious entomological 

 artist. 



The first substantial addition to our knowledge, so far 

 as the early stages are concerned, was derived 2:>rinci2oally 

 from the same source — Abbot's drawings. This was a 

 smaller octavo volume f prepared by Dr. Boisduval of 

 Paris in collaboration with Major LeConte of New York, 

 published in parts but never completed. The twenty-six 

 parts contained T8 plates, illustrating about 93 species, 

 while the text only covered 85 sj)ecies, not all of which 



* The Natural History of the rarer Lej^idopterous Insects of Georgia. 

 2 vols. fol. London, 1T9T. 104 pi. 



f Histoire generale et iconographie des Lepidopteres et des che- 

 nilles de TAmerique septentrionale. 8vo. Paris, 1829-42. 228 pp., 



78 pi. 



