Books about North American Butterflies 
not what its title would seem to imply, and is far from com¬ 
plete, several hundreds of species not being represented in any 
way, either in the text or in the illustrations. In spite of this 
fact it will remain to the American student a classic, holding a 
place in the domain of entomology analogous to that which is 
held in the science of ornithology by the “ Birds of America,” 
by Audubon. 
A work even more elaborate in its design and execution, con¬ 
tained in three volumes, is “ The Butterflies of New England,” by 
Dr. Samuel Hubbard Scudder, published in the year 1886. No 
more superbly illustrated and exhaustive monograph on any sci¬ 
entific subject has ever been published than this, and it must re¬ 
main a lasting memorial of the colossal industry and vast learning 
of the author, one of the most eminent scientific men whom 
America has produced. 
While the two great works which have been mentioned have 
illustrated to the highest degree not only the learning of their 
authors, but the vast advances which have been made in the art 
of illustration within the last thirty years, they do not stand alone 
as representing the activity of students in this field. A number 
of smaller, but useful, works have appeared from time to time. 
Among these must be mentioned “ The Butterflies of the Eastern 
United States,” by Professor G. H. French. This book, which 
contains four hundred and two pages and ninety-three figures in 
the text, was published in Philadelphia in 1886. It is an admi¬ 
rable little work, with the help of which the student may learn 
much in relation to the subject; but it greatly lacks in illustration, 
without which all such publications are not attractive or thor¬ 
oughly useful to the student. In the same year appeared “ The 
Butterflies of New England,” by C. J. Maynard, a quarto con¬ 
taining seventy-two pages of text and eight colored plates, the 
latter very poor. In 1878 Herman Strecker of Reading, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, published a book entitled “ Butterflies and Moths of North 
America,” which is further entitled “A Complete Synonymical 
Catalogue.” It gives only the synonymy of some four hundred 
and seventy species of butterflies, and has never been continued 
by the author, as was apparently his intention. It makes 
no mention of the moths, except upon the title-page. For 
the scientific student it has much value, but is of no value to 
a beginner. The same author published in parts a work illus- 
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