Page:Jardine Naturalist's Library Exotic Moths.djvu/72

68 Lepidoptera (the only light in which we are now considering it): in its original form, by supplying excellent delineations of many fine species; and in its recent and improved shape, by its accurate descriptions, augmented historical details, and modernised nomenclature. Cramer's "Papillons Exotiques des Trois Parties du Monde, l'Asie, l'Afrique, et l'Amerique," is one of the most valuable works ever published on the Lepidoptera of foreign countries. The first volume appeared at Amsterdam in 1779, and the fourth or last in 1782. It is large quarto size, containing four hundred plates, which, besides butterflies, afford representations of between eight and nine hundred moths and sphingideous insects, including many of the largest and most remarkable kinds found out of Europe. The engravings, upon the whole, are very accurate, and the colouring so good that the species can be at once recognised. These figures derive additional value from the consideration that they have been very often referred to by describers and systematists, so that we can easily determine what insect they meant when their descriptions, as often happens, prove so brief or imperfect as to leave us in doubt. The accompanying text is not of so much value as it might easily have been made, but a good deal of useful information may be gleaned from it. A supplement to this work has been published by Stoll (1791), which is deserving of the highest commendation. It contains figures of upwards of seventy moths and hawkmoths; but its