Bargain antique print. Moths' Lifecycle - Foliage, Berries, Caterpillars c1840

by Humphreys, H.N.

Delicate Moths and their Transformations - Caterpillars, leaves, berries.

Original  hand-coloured engraving arranged and illustrated by H.N. Humphreys Esq., with characters and descriptions by J. O. Westwood, Esq. F.L.S. (secretary of the Entomological Society), for British Moths and their Transformations published in London c1841.

Humphreys (1810-1879), was a British naturalist, entomologist, illustrator - and numismatist. His presentation of the butterflies with caterpillar and chrysalis, impressed curators at the British Museum, who adopted this method of illustrating the transformation lifecycle of insects. Humphreys lovely engravings surely echo the exquisite medieval manuscripts he studied in Italy when a young man. He wrote: “The study of natural history is the learning of the characters with which the wonderful story of nature is written.. cannot conceive a more pleasing and natural introduction to its general study than entomology, of which I think the division of Lepidoptera.. the most easy and attractive section.  H. N. Humphreys, Esq."

This beautiful engraving is age-discoloured and the page is slightly damaged. Size is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches).