Moses Harris | The Aurelian, or natural history of English insects, 1840

Moses Harris

The Aurelian. A Natural History of English Moths and Butterflies, together with the figures of their transformations and of the plants on which they feed. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1840.

4to (361 x 261 mm), additional engraved title with hand-coloured border, coloured key plate, 42 hand-coloured engraved plates (of 44, plates XXXIX and XL missing), contemporary red half morocco over marbled boards, spine elaborately gilt with green morocco label, covers gilt-ruled, marbled endpapers, edges gilt, endleaves spotted, transfer of engraved title to opposite page, binding detached, extremities rubbed

A beautiful record of English butterflies and moths, incorporating all the stages of the life cycle for each, positioned on the plants on which they feed and breed. Moses Harris (1730-1787) was an accomplished artist as well as entomologist, and this work contains details of more than forty butterflies and moths, along with some beetles and dragonflies.

PROVENANCE:

[?] Minnie C. Wood: inscription to front free endpaper

LITERATURE:

Nissen ZBI 1835; Lisney 237