An Introduction to Entomology: Or Elements of the Natural History of Insects: With Plates. Vol. I only of 4

KIRBY, William; SPENCE, William

Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London, 1815

About this Item

Vol. I only: xxiii, 512 p. 22 cm. Colour frontispiece is Plate I and a colour plate at rear is Plate III. No Plate II included. Half green leather with green marbled boards, brown marbled endpapers. Corners worn, front hinge cracked and loosening, scuffed edges, rubbed and stained boards. Ink signature on front endpaper. Title has ink signature and offsetting from frontispiece. Ink stain on lower edge and first pages. Tiny hole in another front page. "One principal cause of the little attention paid to Entomology in the country, has doubtless been the ridicule so often thrown upon the science . in the minds of most men, the learned as well as the vulgar, the idea of the trifling nature of his pursuit is so strongly associated with that of the diminutive size of its objects, that an Entomologist . is synonymous with every thing futile and childish . there are evidentally no great attractions to lead him to a science which promises only to signalize him as an object of pity or contempt . how can he look for sympathy in a pursuit unknown to the world, except as indicative of littleness of mind?" (Preface pp. v-vi). Despite being made fun of for their interest in bugs, the authors compiled an extensive multi-volume set. This volume discusses the metamorphoses of insects, the direct and indirect injuries insects cause, injuries to vegetables, ravages of locusts, direct and indirect benefits derived from insects, their food, habitations, and "affection" for their young.

Seller Inventory # 156145

Bibliographic Details

• Title: An Introduction to Entomology: Or Elements of the Natural History of Insects: With Plates. Vol. I only of 4
• Publisher: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London
• Publication Date: 1815
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fair
• Seller catalogs:
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