PREFACE. 



paper, brought to Europe in great quantities. Many of these figures are, how- 

 ever, evidently fictitious, although some are occasionally found accurately cor- 

 rect and most elaborately pencilled. 



The few but interesting hints which Sir George Staunton (who accom- 

 panied the embassy of the Earl Macartney to China) has given on the 

 practical Entomology of China in the account of his Travels, which was 

 published shortly before the appearance of the first edition of this work, were 

 embodied by Donovan in his pages, and from whence we may be induced 

 to hope that at some future time, some of the insects, as well as plants, of that 

 vast empire may become no less objects of utility and importance than of 

 curiosity ; the Chinese cochineal insect,* and that from which the wax of the 

 East is procured, are two species that deserve particular attention. The 

 medical precepts of the Chinese will certainly find but few votaries in Europe, 

 but as articles of medicine, amongst others, the Mylabris Cichorii, regarded as 

 the Cantharides of the ancients and still used as a vesicant by the Chinese, 

 may be of importance, as it is said to possess more virtues than the Cantharis 

 vesicatoria of Europe. 



From the vast extent of the Chinese empire and our comparative ignorance 

 of its insect productions, it is almost impossible to speak with any precision 

 upon the interesting subject of its entomological geography. Many of its 

 insects bear a great resemblance, and occasionally appear identical with those 



* Dr. Anderson found eight species of Coccus at Madras. One of these, he says, was found on a young 

 citron-tree, citrus sinensis, just landed from China; it was more deeply intersected between the abdominal 

 rings than any of those of the coast, and he therefore named it C. Diacopeis. Collection of Letters from 

 Madras, January 28, 1788. The Cactus Cochinillifer had been found previous to the appearance of the 

 first edition by Mr. Kincaid at Canton ; its Chinese name is Pau wang. This had been transmitted to the 

 Nopalry of the Hon. East India Company at Madras, and promised to be of future advantage to the com- 

 mercial concerns of Great Britain. 



