96 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



them, so far as it may be right for them to do so, 

 and have undertaken, at the request of another, 

 to write the following ' Natural History of British 

 Butterflies,' and to supply particulars which I have 

 felt the want of myself." 



Like the " Birds " and the " Nests and Eggs," the 

 " History of British Butterflies " came out in parts, 

 the first number making its appearance in the begin- 

 ning of 1852, while the other two works, therefore, 

 were also in course of publication. From the first 

 it was favourably received by the public, and had a 

 large sale. It went through six editions in the life- 

 time of the author, the proofs for the last, or seventh, 

 edition having been carefully revised only a few days 

 before his death ; this, indeed, was the concluding 

 stroke of literary work he did. Fitting was it that 

 these last touches of his pen, which through his long 

 life was never at rest, should have been given to the 

 work which, of all others, it gave him the greatest 

 delight to write. His earliest years were in no small 

 measure brightened by this absorbing pursuit ; it was 

 his chief relaxation amid the activities of an excep- 

 tionally industrious life, and the happy days he had 

 spent in this branch of Nature's field were among 

 the pleasantest recollections of his declining years. 

 The figures for the work were accurately drawn and 

 engraved by Mr. Fawcett, and, like the rest of the 

 illustrations in the author's volumes on natural 

 history, were coloured by hand. 



It was impossible to follow the descriptive portions 

 of the " History of British Butterflies " and not see 



