Papilionidoe. 107 



observe that, although we possess a very choice example 

 of this elegant insect in our own cabinet, the figures in 

 the annexed plate are faithful copies of the individual 

 drawings in the collection of Mr. Jones, to which Fabri- 

 cius has referred ; and we conceive we render some 

 advantage at least to science, in thus enabling the natu- 

 ralist to identify this fine and very interesting species in 

 the classical work of that estimable entomologist, who has 

 alone described it/' 



The attempt to unravel the real history of these figures 

 is worthy our attention, by letting us into the secret of 

 Donovan's mode of preparing such of the plates of his 

 illustrated works as represent those Fabrician butterflies 

 which had been described only from Jones's * Icones.' 

 Mr. Jones lived at Chelsea, and Donovan, as an excellent 

 artist, engaged in publishing various illustrated works on 

 the science, was allowed unlimited use of these drawings j 

 and his general plan was to copy, in strong body water- 

 colours, the upper-surface of the two wings on one side 

 of the species, adding marginal notes of the difierences 

 exhibited by the under-surface of the same wings ; and 

 it is from these notes, and not from direct copies of 

 Jones's drawings, that many of the undersides of Dono- 

 van's figures were published. Donovan's set of copies, 

 thus made, were subsequently purchased by the Eev. F. 

 W. Hope, who added them to his entomological library, 

 presented, as is well known, with his collections, to the 

 University of Oxford, and now under my charge. From 

 these it is evident that Donovan was a careless person, 

 his drawings having been kept in a very dirty condition. 



Now it happens that Donovan's copy of the figure of 

 the upper-surface of P. Thersander had been grievously 

 mutilated (it appears as though it, as well as some other 

 of his copies, had been gnawed by mice), half of the 

 costal portion and part of the apical portion of the fore- 

 wings, and half the base, including the pale fascia, and 

 the whole of the anal margin of the hind-wings have 

 disappeared. The fragments were put together by Dono- 

 van, and mounted on a sheet of thick whitey-brown paper, 

 on which Mr. Hope wrote, " put together by Donovan to 

 settle some dispute." Moreover, a portion of the end of 

 each line of the note of description of the underside has 

 been lost, and, consequently, did not afford Donovan 

 suflficient material to manufacture a figure of the under- 



