PREFACE. 



AT-the commencement of tlie year 1844, Sir William H. Gregory, then Governor of 

 Ceylon, having had his attention called by Dr. Thwaites, the Director of the Botanical 

 Garden at Peradeniya, to the accuracy and beauty of the botanical drawings made by 

 his native draftsman, Mr. W. de Alwis, permission was given, on the suggestion of 

 Dr. Thwaites, that this draftsman might be engaged in copying from nature the 

 Lepidopterous Insects of the Island, in which subject Dr. Thwaites took great 

 interest. Under his supervision these drawings were made, from specimens chiefly 

 collected by him. Mr. Geo. de Alwis, brother of Mr. W., also having shown much 

 talent, Sir Wm. Gregory employed him at his own expense in copying the drawings 

 already made and in preparing fresh ones, and it is from these copies, which were 

 lent for the purpose by Sir Wm. Gregory, as well as from natural specimens, that 

 the figures on the plates of this work are taken. 



This series of drawings of the Lepidopterous Insects of Ceylon — representing 

 about 360 species, of which about 250 are figured in their various stages of larva, 

 pupa, and imago — was placed in the Author's hands, together with the collection of 

 specimens formed by Sir Wm. Gregory, for the purpose of being arranged and named. 



This collection of drawings was subsequently exhibited at a Meeting of the 

 Entomological Society of London, held March 6th, 1878, and was considered to be 

 such a valuable contribution to Eastern Entomology that the following resolution 

 was proposed by the President in the chair and passed, viz. : "It was hoped that an 

 application to the Ceylon Government for their publication would be successful." 



A proposal was therefore drawn up by the Author and submitted for the 

 approval of Sir Wm. Gregory, and, in the event of the publication of these 

 drawings being undertaken by the Colonial Government, tendered his services 

 gratuitously in editing the work and preparing descriptions of the various species 



