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The Aurelian Legacy: British Butterflies and their Collectors
This entertaining and informative book traces the history of butterfly collection in Britain from the seventeenth century, when the study of natural history had its beginnings. Our knowledge of butterflies is the result of four hundred years of collection and study. However, butterfly collecting is a controversial subject today, and given the present state of butterfly populations, indiscriminate gathering of specimens can no longer be justified.
In addition to giving a history of butterfly collecting in Britain, this beautifully illustrated volume describes the equipment used and gives brief biographies of 101 deceased lepidopterists. The book is generously laced with anecdotes and quotations, and includes many contemporary monochrome portraits, accounts of selected species of historical interest, and an appraisal of the effects of collecting and of current conservation policies. Appendixes list all the British and Irish butterflies with their earlier, often confusing, and sometimes fanciful vernacular names, and provide a chronological account of entomological societies, publications, and significant events in the canon of British entomology.
The Aurelian Legacy is a fascinating account of the men and women who have made valuable contributions to our knowledge of British butterflies and of their early and often complex history. It is not only a good read but also an excellent reference source for current and future lepidopterists as well as social historians.
In addition to giving a history of butterfly collecting in Britain, this beautifully illustrated volume describes the equipment used and gives brief biographies of 101 deceased lepidopterists. The book is generously laced with anecdotes and quotations, and includes many contemporary monochrome portraits, accounts of selected species of historical interest, and an appraisal of the effects of collecting and of current conservation policies. Appendixes list all the British and Irish butterflies with their earlier, often confusing, and sometimes fanciful vernacular names, and provide a chronological account of entomological societies, publications, and significant events in the canon of British entomology.
The Aurelian Legacy is a fascinating account of the men and women who have made valuable contributions to our knowledge of British butterflies and of their early and often complex history. It is not only a good read but also an excellent reference source for current and future lepidopterists as well as social historians.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2000
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June 30, 2021
What an incredible work! Not to be missed for anyone interested in the history of biology, ecology, or natural history. Who knew that British lepidopterists went around pinning specimens onto their top hats or storing stuff inside them!
The downside I found is that many of the minutiae are off in small ways. A bit unfortunate since it showed up on several entries that I I investigated a bit more in detail.
One was about the American Indian supposedly honored in Papilio huntera by Fabricius. It however turns out that it simply cannot be John Dunn "Hunter". See https://archive.org/details/entomolog...
There are little errors in the life dates for several biographical entries but the nice contribution is the bringing together of portraits many of which would otherwise have languished with some of the learned societies (sad that many do not seem to have plans for digitizing their archives).
The downside I found is that many of the minutiae are off in small ways. A bit unfortunate since it showed up on several entries that I I investigated a bit more in detail.
One was about the American Indian supposedly honored in Papilio huntera by Fabricius. It however turns out that it simply cannot be John Dunn "Hunter". See https://archive.org/details/entomolog...
There are little errors in the life dates for several biographical entries but the nice contribution is the bringing together of portraits many of which would otherwise have languished with some of the learned societies (sad that many do not seem to have plans for digitizing their archives).
Displaying 1 of 1 review