XV111. 



* The first outline of his system appeared in his " Systema Entomologise," 

 published in 1775, and the last in his " Supplement to Entomologia 

 Systematica," in 1798. The -other works he published were the "Genera 

 Insectorum," which contained the natural definitions of the species, in 1776; 

 the "Philosophia Entomologica," in 1778; the "Species Insectorum," in 

 1782, which appeared in two volumes as a continuation of the " Systema 

 Entomologica " ; and the "Mantissa Insectorum," in 1787, in two volumes, 

 which contained more particularly the corrections and additions which he 

 obtained on his travels to Vienna and St. Petersburg. In his " Philosophia 

 Entomologica," drawn up on the plan of the " Philosophia Botanica," of 

 Linnaeus, he bequeathed to the science a standard work to be studied by 

 every entomologist. His incredible labour in depicting new genera, and 

 describing new species, with which view he travelled into various parts of 

 Europe, and seven times into Britain, have been of infinite service, and have 

 placed the science upon a footing much nearer to that of botany than it had 

 ever before attained. 



The principal object of his tour to Vienna was to form an acquaintance 

 with the authors of " Lepidoptera of the vicinity of Yienna," the principal of 

 whom was Schiffermuller, whom the Emperor Joseph had appointed director 

 of the Northern Institute at Lenz. This Yienna Catalogue, or W.Y. as it 

 is usually called, was published in 1775, by Denis and SchifFermiiller, two 

 officers of the Austrian army. 



Eabricius died in 1810, at the age of 63. Linnseus is reported thus to 

 have spoken of him : " When Fabricius asks me concerning an insect, I take 

 off my hat, and I say unto him, be thou my teacher." 



Between the first of Fabricius' works which appeared in 1775, and the 

 last which appeared in 1798, were published the works of Porkhausen, in 

 1788; of Fourcroy, on the "Entomology of Paris," in 1785; of Christian 

 Miiller, in 1785; of Yon Rottenburg, in 1775, &c. 



More confusion exists as to the names given between the years 1770 and 

 1790 than at any other period in the annals of entomological science. 

 Fabricius, following the example of his master, the illustrious Linnaeus, 

 attempted to combine in some degree Natural and Civil History, by attaching 

 the names of persons, illustrious in their day, to the butterflies, and consider- 

 ing the matter of a year or two of no importance, adopted the name of Adonis 

 given in the Yienna Catalogue of 1776, to that of the senseless name Bell- 

 argus, given in " Der Naturforscher," published in 1775. Likewise he gave 

 preference to that of Alsus, W.V., over that of the misleading name of 

 Minima, given by Fuessli in 1775. If entomologists of more modern times 

 only bowed to the wisdom and discretion of Fabricius, instead of following 



