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ThePainting ofHISTORY PIECESandPORTRAITSin Oyl being the Profession of the Author of this Work, he frequently found himself at a Loss, in the Course of his Employment, to understand with Certainty what Colours would contrast with and set off each other to the best Advantage; and perhaps had still remained under the same Difficulties, had he not been led by Accident into the Means of learning all this from Nature, which undoubtedly is the best Instructor.
Ithappened that a Friend invited him one Evening, to bear him Company to a Society named theAurelian: the agreeable Purpose of which is, to become acquainted with that Part of Natural Philosophy which relates to the Generation and Properties of Insects, of which they have a fine Collection. And here he first saw such Specimens of Nature’s admirable Skill in the Disposition, Arrangement, and contrasting of Colours (particularly amongst theMothsandButterflies) as struck him with Amazement, and convinced him, at the same Time, that studying them would turn greatly to his Advantage.
Withthis View he desired to become a Member of theAurelian Society, and soon after had the Honour to be admitted; when, by his own Diligence, together with the genenerous and kind Assistance of some Gentlemen of the Society, it was not long before he had acquired a tolerable Collection ofEnglishMothsandButterflies; and for ten Years past his leisure Hours have chiefly been employed in the collecting and making Drawings of the differentEnglish Caterpillars,AureliæorChrysalides,Flies, &c. that he could any Ways obtain; and in making such Observations and Remarks thereon as shall now, with all Submission, be laid before the Publick.
Hehas been greatly assisted in this Work by that well-known and ingenious Naturalist, Mr.Joseph Dandridge; to whose noble Collection he had free Access during his Life-time, and also the Liberty of making what Use he thought fit of his curious Remarks on these Subjects, which were the Fruits of no less than forty Years Experience. And he is still favoured in the like Manner by his Successors, as often as he finds Occasion.
Respectto the Memory of this valuable and worthy Man, will not suffer him to omit this Opportunity of giving him the Character that is most justly his due, viz. That he was a Person of unbounded Curiosity, and unwearied Application in his Researches into the Works of Nature; in the Study of which all those Hours were employed that could be spared from his immediate Business; by which Means, during a long Life, he had not only got together a great Variety of the most rare natural Productions, but also from Time to Time had written down his Observations thereon, which deserve the highest Regard, as his Judgment and Veracity were both without Exception. And, as he loved these Studies himself, he was a zealous Encourager of all that had the same Inclination, whom he was always ready to assist with his laboriously acquired Knowledge.
Butto proceed—He must also acknowledge, that in the Course of this Undertaking he has made use of the Drawings of someCaterpillarsandFlieswhich were published not long ago in a curious Work of this Sort, byJ. A. Rosel, atNorimburgh, inGermany: But he has taken from him such only as are exactly of the same Species with what we have in England, though we have not yet been so fortunate to meet with them under all their several Changes: what Information that Gentleman has given, as to those Particularities concerning them which we are yet unacquainted with, he therefore judged proper to insert.
Asto thePlants,Flowers, andFruits, he declares himself under the highest Obligation to a most curious Naturalist, and worthy Member of the Royal Society ofLondon, whose costly and valuable Collection is known to the learned World, and esteemed as it deserves. This Gentleman has generously permitted him to make use of many excellent Paintings of these Subjects, which were taken from Nature by those two celebrated Artists Mr.George Dennis Ehret, and Mr.Jacobus Van Heysum, and executed with the utmost Judgment and Command of Pencil, so that he could hardly doubt but that true Copies of them would give great Pleasure to the Lovers of Botany, whom he has endeavoured to entertain with all the Variety he could introduce.
SomeIll-natured People, that love to find Fault with every Thing, have, he hears, objected against the Liberty he has taken, in giving in several of his Plates,Plants,Flowers, andFruits, that are not in Reality the Food of theCaterpillarstherein exhibited; but as the greatest Part of theCaterpillarsdescribed in this Work feed chiefly on theOak,Elm,Black-Thorn,White-Thorn,Willow, andNettle, all which are separately represented in different Plates, it was judged unnecessary (and would certainly have been tiresom) to repeat those Subjects, as often as differentCaterpillarsare presented to which they serve for Food: and therefore, instead of so doing, the Author has enriched his Undertaking with some of the most beautiful Productions of Nature in the Vegetable Kingdom: But, however, has not forgot to place theCaterpillars, in most of the Plates, on a small Specimen of the real Plant on which it feeds, as will be properly explained in the Account of each ParticularFly:—and this Care, it is hoped will be an Answer to all unreasonable Cavils.
ThePlatesare all drawn and etched with his own Hand, in a quite new Manner; whereby every Design, when coloured, appears like a regular Piece of Painting; and theFliesare drawn and Painted with the utmost Exactness, from as fine and perfect Specimens as can be bred. The common Method of amusing the Reader with long Accounts of the Colours and Markings of eachFlyis avoided in this Work, as entirely needless, when the Objects are truly represented before his Eyes.
HisClassing of theCaterpillarswill be found of great Use; for if it be enquired whatFlyanyCaterpillarthat may happen to present itself will produce, by observing its Character you will easily be satisfied (if it is in this Collection) and be likewise taught what its proper Food is, &c.Namesare absolutely necessary to distinguish oneFlyfrom another, and enable the Curious in this Study to communicate any Observations they may make; which, without giving Names to theFlies, would be very difficult, if even possible to be done; as they must be greatly at a Loss to make others perfectly understand whatFliesthey are treating of. The worthy Members of theAurelian Society, and several other ingenious Gentlemen, have been so sensible of this, that they, from Time to Time, have thought proper to bestow some Name on every Species that has come within their Knowledge.
IndeedNames are arbitrary, and if remembered, and the Intent of them well understood, may, whatever they are, serve the Purpose of giving them: But here, as in every Thing else, a Propriety is to be aimed at, and the Names given ought to denote some distinguishing Particularity, and that the most obvious, in the Subject on which they are bestowed, so as to make the Name, if possible, descriptive of the Thing: Which Rule has been followed as strictly as might be in naming theMothsandButterfliescontained in this Work: that is to say, the Shape, the Colour, the Marking, the Food, or the Place where found is what they are named from. But in doing this, where the Author found them named to his Hands in this descriptive Manner, he has gladly retained the Name they had already, and only presumes to bestow Names himself on such as either had none at all, or which he thought not sufficiently denotative of the particularFliesintended to be known by them.
TheDivision of the Work into Books and Chapters may need some Explanation, since under some of the Divisions very few, or even but one singleFlyis placed; the Reason whereof is, that the Plan here laid down is intended for the Arranging of all theMothsandButterflies, whose Progression is known at present, or shall hereafter be discovered inEngland; of which, as theFlieshere given are but a small Part, this must be considered but as an Out-line to be filled up occasionally.
Itis hoped the Directions here given how to collect theCaterpillarsorChrysalides, how to feed and take Care of them, how to preserve theFlieswhen bred, and where and at what Times they may be found most easily, will prove both acceptable and useful to every curious Collector; and as the Author thinks himself under great Obligations to the Subscribers to, and Encouragers of this Undertaking, a List of their Names is added as a Memorial of his Gratitude.
TheseThings being premised, we come now to give a short Sketch of the Natural History of theEnglish MothsandButterfliesin general.
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