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- 



72 





