The genera of British moths : Popularly described and arranged according to the system now adopted in the British Museum

Front matter

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H. NOEL HUMPHREYS i§Sf

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Preface

The study of Natural History is at last beginning to assert its place and importance in the ordinary routine of education. The charm of such works as White’s “ Selborne,” and Kirby and Spence’s “ Introduction to Entomology,” is every day being acknowledged by an increasing circle of fascinated readers, and, as a natural result, a desire to know more of each separate subject there briefly touched upon is becoming very general.

The activity of many workers in the field of science has produced, within the last half-century, complete and invaluable works upon almost every section of Natural History which could suggest itself to the curiosity of any ordinary student. But, then, these are great and voluminous treatises necessarily encumbered with details of classification and technical minutiae, such as the unprofessional reader has neither time nor taste to encounter. On the other hand, the 4 popular ’ works are in general so fragmental and incomplete, that they fail to give the ' reader the hold on the subject which he requires, or the more solid information which he seeks.

I have sought, in planning the present work on British Moths, to steer a course midway between the strictly scientific treatise and the slight ‘ popular volume ; ’ with this view I intend giving a brief outline of the general principles upon which this section of the world of insects has been reduced to order and classification. After which I shall notice all the groups into which our British Moths have been divided, and then describe, with an accompanying illustration, one species of every genus contained in each group or family ; to each of which generic illustrations a list of the other species will be attached.

By this means a complete general plan of the whole subject will be exhibited within a moderate space ; while if every species contained in a genus were engraved, the bulk of the work would be carried to an unwieldy extent, quite inconsistent with the purpose of a book suited to the general reader. It will be readily understood (I am addressing the unscientific) that by the description of the leading and typical insect of each genus, the general characteristics of the subordinate species belonging to the same genus will be easily appreciated ; but in case of any remarkable deviation of forms occurring among a number of species placed in one and the same genus, a second species will be described and engraved, if necessary, as in the case of the genus Choerocampa, of which two species are figured in plate 3, on account of the great difference in size and markings which they exhibit.

The work will contain, therefore, a very complete account of all the genera of British Moths, and will, to that extent, form a complete work, not merely consisting of sketches of some of the more prominent and attractive of the insects belonging to the class treated of, but a consecutive account, although in a popular form, of the entire family of British Moths.

H. N. H.