Illustrations of British Entomology; or a Synopsis of Indigenous Insects; containing their generic and specific distinctions; with an account of their metamorphoses, times of appearance, localities, food, and economy, as far as practicable. Embellished with coloured figures of the rarer and more interesting species. Mandibulata . . .

DARWIN, Charles (1809-1882) (contributor). STEPHENS, James Francis (1792-1852).

Published by Printed for the Author; published by Baldwin and Cradock, 1828-31., London:, 1828

About this Item

Four volumes. 8vo. [9.5 inches tall]. Vol. I: [2], iv, 186, [2] pp. 9 plates. Vol. II: [ii], 200 pp. 6 plates. Vol. III: [ii], 374, [6] pp. 4 plates. Vol. IV: ii, 413, [1] pp. 4 plates. Original marbled boards, with modern half-calf, raised bands, gilt-stamped spines, black leather spine labels, marbled endsheets. Small ownership labels of the Lowther Collection. Nice set. CONTAINING THE FIRST PUBLICATIONS OF CHARLES DARWIN. The full edition was issued in 12 volumes. "While at the University of Cambridge, the student Charles Darwin became an enthusiastic insect collector. He sent Stephens records of the rarer insects he had captured, and was delighted when Illustrations of British entomology gave him credit for capturing insects described in 33 entries, quoting his words in all but two of the cases. Darwin recalled in his autobiography "No poet ever felt more delight at seeing his first poem published than I did at seeing in Stephen's Illustrations of British Insects the magic words, 'captured by C. Darwin, Esq.'", though the closest wording as published actually appeared slightly differently, as "captured by the Rev. F. W. Hope and C. Darwin, Esq., in North Wales" and "Taken in North Wales by C. Darwin, Esq." â " Wikip. / The exquisite plates are colored by hand, after drawings by Charles M. Curtis (1795-1839) and John Obadiah Westwood (1905-1893), who was among the first entomologists with an academic position at Oxford University. Although he worked on insect classification and diversity for more than sixty years from the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, he never accepted the ideas on evolution. / James Francis Stephens was an English entomologist and naturalist. He was elected fellow of the Linnean Society on 17 February 1815, and of the Zoological Society of London in 1826. From 1815 to 1825 he took a great interest in ornithology and contributed to the work of George Shaw (1751-1813). He was granted leave from office to assist William Elford Leach in 1818 to arrange the insect collection at the British Museum, and eventually described as many as 2800 British insect species. In 1833, he was founder of what became the Royal Entomological Society of London. Stephens made a large insect collection that included many specimens. After his death the insect collection was purchased by the British Museum. PROVENANCE: Bruce Lowther (1926-1999) Collection, c/o J.T. Barnes, 503 Royal Trust Building, Victoria, B.C. Lowther was a journalist, broadcaster, author and historian with a particular interest in British Columbia labor history. From 1954-76 he worked as a reporter and columnist for the Victoria Daily Colonist. His collection of books was donated to the Saanich Archives, Saanich, British Columbia.

Seller Inventory # S13985

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Illustrations of British Entomology; or a Synopsis of Indigenous Insects; containing their generic and specific distinctions; with an account of their metamorphoses, times of appearance, localities, food, and economy, as far as practicable. Embellished with coloured figures of the rarer and more interesting species. Mandibulata . . .
• Publisher: Printed for the Author; published by Baldwin and Cradock, 1828-31., London:
• Publication Date: 1828
• Binding: Hardcover