Vm PREFACE. 



and, if well conducted, they unite all that is essential from 

 the pen and the pencil. 



Several foreign journals have noticed the appearance of 

 these Illustrations, and generally in such terms as to stamp 

 a value on their contents. One of these, however,* contains 

 several misrepresentations, which have doubtless escaped 

 the notice of the editor; and which, therefore, it may be as 

 well to explain in this place. The writer in this journal, 

 while noticing my Illustrations, seems to have mixed up with 

 it criticisms intended for another periodical miscellany,^ to 

 which this has, perhaps, given birth, and which professes to 

 be on a similar plan. He states that these Illustrations are to be 

 completed in sixty numbers, making five volumes. No such 

 declaration, to my knowledge, has ever been made, although 

 such is the averred plan of the Naturalist's Repository. The 

 reviewer goes on to state : " II suit pour I'Entomologie et la 

 Conchologie la classification surannee de Linneeus." This 

 is not a very respectful mode of speaking of the labours of 

 the greatest naturalist whom his age produced ; but the pro- 

 position is a total mistake ; the charge is refuted by almost 

 every page of my work ; and, what is rather extraordinary, 

 by the very quotations of the reviewer. In reply to the regret 

 expressed, " que I'auteur n'indique pas toujours les ouvrages 

 les plus recens," I should have been thankful had he sub- 

 joined what works these were ; as I do not find, in the 

 monthly lists of the Bulletin, any one which I have not 

 consulted or referred to, if connected with the objects here 

 described.^ M. de Ferussac's work has been regularly cited, 



* Bulletin des Annonces et des Nouvelles Sclentifiques, N. 6. p. 438. 



t Donovan's Naturalist's Repository. 



X The additional list of synonyms subjoined at the end of this volume 

 almost entirely refer to one or two books which have been subsequently 

 published: the date of 1822, affixed to the seventh volume of Lamarck's 

 H. N. des Animaux sans Verlcbres, is considerably before the time it was 

 issued to the public. 



