Fig. III.--Il deploye ses aîles environ trois pouces.
_Le Dessus._--Les antennes sont noires. La tête le corcelet et l'abdomen
bruns. Les aîles (dont les bords sont unis ou point dentélés) sont d'une
couleur brune foncée, avec une nuance couleur d'argille se levant proche
des bords antérieurs des aîles supérieures, qui court le long près des
bouts et finit aux bords extérieurs.
_Le Dessous._--Les yeux sont noires, les antennules jaunes. Toutes les
aîles sont de la même couleur brune que en dessus, avec la nuance
d'argille proche des bouts chacune des aîles supérieures a cinq taches
blanchâtres, placées sur une ligne près des bords extérieurs. Les
inférieures ont chacune quelquefois cinq et quelquefois sept taches de la
même couleur rangées circulairment et se rencontrant près de l'extrémité
du corps.
Il l'ai reçue de la Chine. Je ne le trouve point décrit.
The name of Papilio Eumeus was consequently proposed for this insect in the
Appendix to the second volume.
Amongst the manuscripts with which I have been favoured by the relatives of
Mr. Drury, or have obtained elsewhere, are comprised a variety of notes
relative to the publication of this work, and of observations from which
the following are selected. He notices that "his _descriptions_ are only
intended to assist the reader in ascertaining the different species; and
that they are not intended to be so complete as to give a perfect idea of
the animal without the help of the figure." He alludes to the difficulty
not only "of ascertaining true colours or calling them by their proper
names," but also of "colouring the prints so, as to exactly represent the
natural specimens,"--that he has mentioned and given English names to no
more parts of insects than had suited his purpose for describing
them,--that "there are some parts mentioned in the descriptions which
cannot be seen in the plates, such as the Gorget (Sternum), &c. which may
serve not only to assist in classing them, but to ascertain their species."
"The descriptions of the Hymenoptera are not intended to be so complete as
to give a perfect idea of the insect, but are only given to assist the
reader in observing the figures."
"All the descriptions are taken from the insects themselves; whatever
defects, therefore, are to be observed in comparing them with the coloured
figures must be imputed to the artist, as it would not be proper to
describe them according to the prints, but to {vii}nature."--It is in
consequence of this last remark that I have been careful to omit nothing of
the original edition in this edition of the least importance, but have
given the description as much as possible in the words of the author
himself.
I have also added a general Systematic Index to the entire work, and an
Alphabetic Index, in which the names employed in the first edition are
distinguished by an asterisk.
The collection formed by Drury was exceedingly choice, and had occupied
nearly thirty years in its formation; for although, as Drury himself says
(in one of the printed circulars which he distributed with a view to its
sale) "there may be in Holland collections more numerous, having in many
instances a great number of a single species, yet no collection abounds
with such a wonderful variety in all the different genera as this. All the
specimens of which it is composed, are in the highest and most exquisite
state of preservation, such an extensive collection can be supposed to be,
and a very considerable number are _unique_, such as are not to be found in
any other Cabinet whatever, and of considerable value; many of which,
coming from countries exceedingly unhealthy, where the collectors, in
procuring them, have perished by the severity of the climate, give but
little room to expect any duplicate will ever be obtained during the
present age; and the learned quotations that have been taken from it by
those celebrated authors Linnæus and Fabricius, in all their late editions,
are incontestable proofs of the high degrees of estimation they entertained
of it."
This statement was made in 1788, when the author had consumed upwards of
twenty-five years in its formation, and at which period no less a sum than
£4,000. had been expended upon the collection. At this period the
collection consisted of--
Subjects. Different Species.
Coleoptera 2218 2136
Hemiptera 895 778
Lepidoptera 2462 2148
Neuroptera 172 171
Hymenoptera 533 533
Diptera 552 402
Aptera 105 96
English Collection 2641 2070
---- ----
9578 8370
Subsequently great additions were made to the collection, which, as will be
seen from the localities affixed to the species figured in these
Illustrations was received from all parts of the world with which England
at that period had intercourse. Of the earnest zeal with which this
collection was made, an idea may be obtained from a copy of a letter
addressed to a gentleman residing in Africa, with whom he was anxious to
enter into correspondence.
_London, Dec. 13th_, 1766.