PREFACE. 
5 
tomologists, which frequently had been up to that period to- 
tally neglected. 
With a desire to make the work more complete, figures 
have been given of a very considerable number of Caterpillars, 
which can only be found in scarce and expensive foreign pub- 
lications. The value also of correct figures of wild specimens 
of our native Plants to the entomologist, as well as the beauty 
which they must always give to a drawing, have made me 
very desirous to render this department as interesting and 
useful as I could, and through the generous contributions of 
numerous friends and my own exertions, I am happy to find 
that this portion of the work is not viewed with indifference, 
even by Botanists. It gave however latterly a serious check 
to my progress ; for I had drawn so largely on the phenoga- 
mous plants, that if it had been my wish to continue the 
work, still giving figures of wild flowers, the numbers in fu- 
ture must have appeared at irregular and remote periods : 
thinking however that a further illustration of the Genera 
will prove acceptable, it is my intention to publish an Atlas* 
which will contain figures of all those not illustrated in this 
work, which with a Synopsis * of the species, will enable the 
scientific to study the subject in detail, and offer such specific 
and general information as may be required by the amateur : 
if I be not mistaken in the utility of these works, I trust that 
all who feel interested in Natural Science will step forward 
and support them. It wall not be irrelevant to add, that I 
hope there are Entomologists who reside in countries pro- 
ducing types of form that are not inhabitants of our Islands, 
who will follow up my views by the illustration of their 
Genera, but on no account to traverse the same ground that 
I have done, by which course time would be lost and money 
wasted. 
Having printed eight new Titles and as many separate In- 
dexes in order that this work may be arranged systematically, 
it might not be thought unadvisable to give some hints upon 
that subject ; but it appears to me, from the careful way in 
which the general Indexes have been framed, that with the as- 
sistance of the “ Guide,” any further instructions would be 
superfluous. It may be as well to observe, that the numbers at 
'* Vide the notices following the List of Subscribers. 
