PREFACE. 
VII 
the entire Bombycidae of the whole world, encourages the editor to hope that in spite of the admitted short¬ 
comings (small defects, omissions and errors are almost inevitable in such a stupendous task) subscribers are 
satisfied with the publication and find that it is to their advantage to possess such a work. Everyone connected 
with the work, the publishers, collaborators, artists, as well as the editor have been satisfied with a minimum 
of remuneration in spite of the increasing stress of the times in order to provide the public with the results of 
their labours at the very lowest cost. We therefore trust that the present volume will be received with kind 
indulgence in consideration of the indefatigable work and the difficulty of compressing so much comprehensive 
matter into such small compass. 
The editor desires to express his especial thanks to the publishers, who have had to suffer more from 
present day difficulties than any of the other collaborators. The disintegration of the european Continent into 
such a plenitude of small States, each trying to effect economic independence, each creating Customs barriers 
and difficulties in the transmission of money etc., each with suppressed enmity, all against all, undermining the 
prosperity of great enterprises, sowing distrust throughout the world — these are all factors — coupled with a 
change from the pursuit of science and natural history to the fetish of sport — which could only be surmounted 
by the undaunted enthusiasm of all the co-workers in their desire to achieve their object. It must be plain to 
everyone that since a long time there has been no prospect of profit either for the publishers or editor or for 
the collaborators, so that they are only being urged forward by their idealism to complete the work that has 
succeeded so far and which after so much endeavour and labour should not be allowed to lapse before final 
success is achieved. The “Macrolepidoptera of the World’’ must be brought to completion, this alone 
urges them forward to further endeavour! 
I would like therefore to record here my gratitude to the compilers of the individual chapters, also 
particularly to the art printers Werner & Winter (Hauser Press) in Frankfurt on the Main who have carried 
out the colour plates. — Even if among these thousands of illustrations one or another is not above criticism, 
nevertheless they compare favourably with any others, even such that are published at much higher prices. 
May we appeal here for indulgence in cases of minor inexactitudes and ask our subscribers not to be influenced 
by adverse criticisms of people who often in ignorance of the actual butterfly express unjust opinions. It is 
unfortunately human to err and it has proved practically impossible to avoid a mistake being made here and 
there. Sometimes this is due to an alteration in the denominations themselves. 
Finally my best thanks are due to those collectors who have facilitated the work of the subeditors by 
the loan of types or specimens from collections. Prompt help in such matters is often of great value and the 
average time taken for the preparation of each colour plate, which was only 3—4 days with their crowded 
varieties of illustrations, could only be achieved by the unselfish aid of these friends of our work. 
If we can progress in the same way we have every hope of rapidly completing Supplementary Volumes 
II—IV, which we are desirous of doing with all speed, as already now the need is being felt of supplementing 
the exotic Rhopalocera and this could then be definitely taken in hand. 
Darmstadt 1st January 1932. 
Dr. Adalbert Seitz. 
