Hesperia Skipper Butterflies. Humphreys hand-coloured lithograph c1860.

by Humphreys, H.N.

Humphreys antique print of Pamphila Skipper Butterflies.
1.Pamphila vitellius male, 2.underside, 3.female, 4. Pamphila Sylvanus male, 5.female, 6.underside.
On Aira alpine grass (Smooth Hair-grass).

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.”

This lovely antique print has been mounted between antique-white conservation ragmat board, and covered with cellophane for presentation and protection until framed. It is available unframed if preferred.
Page size is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches). External size for frame is 380 x 320mm (15 x 12.5 inches).