464 Bibliographical Notice. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 



The Larva: of the British Butterflies and Moths. By the late 

 William Bcckler. Edited by H. T. Staixtox. Vols I. and II. 

 8vo. London : Bay Societj-, 1SS6, 1SS7. 



ALTHoroH we have already many descriptions and figures of the 

 larvae and pup* of the British Lepidoptera, we fancy that these 

 volumes will be received with a hearty welcome by all students of 

 the order. In fact a knowledge of the preparatory states of these 

 insects is of so much consequence even to the mere collector, whose 

 success in rearing larva?, especially from the egg, depends entirely 

 upon his knowing the species to which they belong and the proper 

 food to offer them, that the series of figures, descriptions, and notes on 

 habits, the publication of which has thus been commenced by the 

 Ray Society, will appeal to a very large constituency. 



Of the two volumes ab-eady published the first contains figures 

 and histories of the larva^ of the British Butterflies ; while in the 

 second the Hawk-moths and twenty-seven species of Bombyces are 

 treated in the same fashion. The third volume, to be brought out 

 next year, will include the remainder of the last-named group. 



The work, as explained by the editor in his preface to the first 

 volume, is founded upon the labours of the late Mr. "William Buckler, 

 an artist and miniature painter of repute, who, after devoting some 

 attention to entomology, was induced to undertake the illustration 

 of the editor's great ' Xatunil History of the Tinoina,' when the 

 original artist gave up the work. From the year 1S57, when he 

 commenced his labours in figuring the Tineina and their transfor- 

 mations, Mr. Buclder seems to have turned his attention particu- 

 larly to the larvae of our indigenous Lepidoptera, and from that time 

 until his death, in 1884, he was actively engaged in the study of 

 their transformation, drawing up detailed notes upon their life- 

 history and figuring them in the most careful manner. At intervals 

 he published notices of his observations in the ' Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine ; ' but these articles included only a portion of 

 the results of his researches, and they were not accompanied by any 

 figures, a great collection of which it was well known that the 

 deceased entomologist had left behind him. These and four volumes 

 of note-books were obtained from his executor bj- the Council of the 

 Ray Society, who very justly thought it " highly desirable that the 

 labours of half a lifetime should not be lost to science." 



During his investigations of the preparatory states of the British 

 Lepidoptera Mr. Buckler was in constant correspondence with the 

 Eev. John Hellins, of Exeter, also an enthusiastic cultivator of the 

 same field of research, who has now, we regret to say, followed his 

 friend and coadjutor. Mr. Hellins also published many descrip- 

 tions of Lepidopterous larvje ; and it appears that for many years it 

 was the custom of each of them to send to the other for revision the 

 MSS. of their respective papers, so that all their work may to a 



