Butterflies, chrysalises and caterpillars antique lithograph. Humphreys c1860.

by Humphreys, H.N.

Delicate Pamphila Butterflies antique print. Butterfly Lifecycle Transformation.
1-4.Pamphila Comma Butterfly male, female, underside, caterpillar. 5-7.Pamphila Acteon male, female, another specimen. 8-12.Pamphila Linea male, female, underside, caterpillar chrysalis. The plant is Ornithopus perpusillus (common name, Bird's-foot).

Original  hand-coloured lithograph arranged and illustrated by Henry Noel Humphreys (1810-1879) with characters and descriptions by John Obadiah Westwood, F.L.S. and secretary of the Entomological Society, (1805-1893), for British Butterflies and their Transformations published in London c1860.

Humphreys was a British naturalist, entomologist and illustrator.. His presentation of butterflies with their caterpillar and chrysalis, impressed curators at the British Museum, who adopted this method of illustrating the transformation lifecycle of insects. Humphreys wrote, “The study of natural history... 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.”

In fine condition except for very faint rubs at right. Page size is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches).