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by Kirby, William; Spence, William
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Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #43578.
This work is the third volume of William Kirby and William Spence’s multi‑part “Introduction to Entomology,” a systematic survey of insects that blends natural history, anatomy, and taxonomy. The opening pages explain how the authors’ collaboration was hampered by Spence’s prolonged illness, forcing Kirby to shoulder much of the final editing and to insert numerous recent observations into the already extensive letters on external anatomy. After a detailed errata and binding guide, the volume proceeds with a series of letters that define the term “insect,” trace its classification from Aristotle through Linnaeus and Cuvier, and set out the external anatomy of the class. The text is organized into numbered sections covering egg, larva, pupa and adult stages, followed by exhaustive descriptions of head, trunk and abdomen, all supported by plates and synoptic tables.
The prose reflects early‑19th‑century scientific writing: formal, densely packed with citations, and rich in historical commentary. Kirby’s voice is that of a meticulous naturalist, while Spence’s contributions appear in the more speculative passages on instinct. Readers who enjoy a scholarly, historically grounded exploration of insect morphology, particularly students of entomology, historians of science, or collectors of classic zoological literature, will find the volume rewarding, though its archaic style and exhaustive detail demand patient, attentive study.
The opening · free to read
WILLIAM SPENCE, ESQ. F.L.S.
VOL. III.
LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER ROW.
1826.
PRINTED BY RICHARD TAYLOR, SHOE LANE, LONDON.
ADVERTISEMENT.
The publication of the concluding volumes of the "Introduction to Entomology" has been unavoidably delayed by the continued ill health of one of the Authors, which has devolved upon the other a considerable increase of labour, and demanded a greater expenditure of time than would otherwise have been required: for though Mr. SPENCE put every facility in Mr. KIRBY'S power, and had drawn up a rough copy of every Letter belonging to his department; yet, as most of them had been written several years ago, many curious facts, and a great variety of interesting information subsequently derived from various sources, were necessarily to be inserted, and the whole to be prepared for the press.
When the thousands of objects that were to be examined, and many of them repeatedly, in composing the Letters on the External Anatomy of Insects, are considered, it will not appear surprising if some errors should have crept in; especially as Mr. KIRBY was deprived of the effectual help formerly derived from the acumen, learning, and judgement of his esteemed coadjutor, by his lamented and protracted indisposition: but it is hoped that these errors will be found of minor importance, and not to affect any general principles advanced. The same remarks are also in part applicable to the Anatomical and Orismological Tables (VOL. III. p. 354-393, and VOL. IV. p. 257-354), which were drawn up by the Authors jointly many years ago, before any other portion of the work was composed, but which have, especially the former, required considerable alterations and additions in consequence of subsequent observations and information.
It will not be amiss here to state, in order to obviate any charge of inconsistency in the possible event of Mr. KIRBY'S adverting in any other work to this subject, that though on every material point the authors have agreed in opinion, their views of the theory of instinct do not precisely accord. That given in the second and fourth volumes is from the pen of Mr. SPENCE.
It was originally intended, as mentioned in the Preface, to have given a complete list of Entomological works, of which a large portion was drawn up; but the great length to which more important matters have extended, has rendered necessary the intire omission of this list,--an omission in some degree compensated by the catalogue of Authors quoted, which comprises most of the standard Entomological works.
ERRATA.
Page. Line.
29 27, for Pseudo-c_o_rdia read Pseudo-c_a_rdia.
33 7, for 1/12 read 1-1/2.
35 7 and elsewhere, for Gigas read grandis.
46 16, for number and situation read in some respects.
98 6, for Furtina read Jurtina.
121 note^d, for c read c´.
135 note^b, for XXIV. read XXIII.
137 note^a, for 17 read 18.
251 4, for ten read nine.
378 10, } for frœnum read frænum. 359 21, }
422 note^b, for a´ read a´´.
425 note^b, for b´´ read b´.
471 1, dele Pelecotoma.
10, for orbicular read subtriangular.
512 antepenult. After genera insert except in some Acridæ, as A. viridissima.
562 note^c, for πνεω read πνυμι.
606 5, for Heteropterous read Homopterous.
DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.
The Synoptical Table of the Nomenclature of the Parts of the External Crust of Insects should be placed opposite to page 354.
Plates VI-XX. should be placed in this Volume, and the remainder in the Fourth.
It is however suggested to Purchasers, that in binding complete Sets of the Work, a separate Volume may be formed of the Synoptical Table, the Plates and their Explanations, and the Indexes.
CONTENTS OF VOL. III.
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