First issue of Nature
Nov 4, 1869
Newman's British Moths
W. S. Dallas
An Illustrated Natural History of British Moths. By Edward Newman, F.L.S. F.Z.S. &c. Large 8vo. pp. 486. (London: W. Tweedie.)
A HUNDRED years ago, or perhaps even less, a man who displayed a fondness for collecting insects was commonly regarded as a weakminded individual, whose power of manging his own affairs, although it might in charity be contended by his neighbours, was at least somewhat doubtful. To use the old Scotch phrase, he was supposed to have "a Bee in his bonnet," because he liked to have a Butterfly under his eyes.
In the present day, although many people may be found who cannot see the use of such pursuits, one runs no risk of a commission de lunatico, on account of a predilection for moths or beetles; and if we may judge from the articles provided for the delectation of the multitude in our popular journals, natural history subjects, including entomology, form a not unattractive portion of their bill of fare.
The fact is, that the cacoethes colligendi is one of the commonest affections of humanity, and there are few forms of the disease more harmless than the entomological one. Pictures and statues, books, prints and old china, call for a very considerable expenditure of hard cash, if it is desired to form ever so small a collection of any of them; but the insect-collector generally brings his treasures together by the labour of his own hands, and his boxes and pins do not cost much. Moreover, the collector of insects can hardly avoid learning something of the structure and habits of the objects of his pursuit — a knowledge which must have a favourable effect upon his own mind, and may frequently enable him to be serviceable to his neighbours.
Mr. Newman's "History of British Moths," which is now completed so far as the larger forms are concerned, is admirably adapted to favour these desirable objects; it not only furnishes good descriptions of the British species of moths, but gives an account of their habits in all stages of their existence. This book, which forms a handsome octave volume, will be welcomed with enthusiasm by numbers of young entomologists in all parts of the country, as it gives them, in a convenient and intelligible form, pretty nearly all that can be told about the great group of insects of which it treats. It has another claim upon their attention also in the admirably executed woodcuts with which it is illustrated. Mr. Newman has given figures of every species, in many cases of both sexes of the species, and sometimes of their most prominent varieties, and these figures, although from their nature they are only in black and white, have been so carefully drawn, and so admirably cut, that the want of colour is hardly felt.
We reproduce here two of the cuts, which will show how effective the illustrations are. To the country entomologist working at a distance from any library, whence he can obtain the expensive illustrated works in which these insects are represented on coloured plates, these figures, accompanied as they are by good descriptions, will prove an invaluable boon; and we can only hope that Mr. Newman's book, the result of years of study, may meet with the success which it so well deserves.
