Colias Butterfly and Hipparchia Butterfly antique print c1849.

by Humphreys, H.N.

Exquisite antique print of Butterflies and their Transformations.
Insects. 1.Colias Myrmidone male, 2.female, 3.underside. 4.Hipparchia (Oreina) Muestra of Hubner, 5.underside. 6.Variety of Hipparchia Janira. 7.Splendid variety of Argynnis Lathonia. 

Original  hand-coloured lithograph highlighted with gum arabic, 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 Butterflies and their Transformations published in London c1849.

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.”

Page size is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches). Tiny foxing spots at base.