Genera Insectorum
EDITED BY
P. WYTSMAN
MEMBER OF THE (( SoCIETE EnTOMOLOGIQUE DE FRANCE )), ETC.
he study of Zoology and especially of Entomology has been so greatly extended and revolutionised during the last fifty years, that a general work embodging the classification at present in use by Entomologists, would be most acceptable to a great number of collectors of Insects.
The various orders of Insects have been studied by numerous specialists, and have formed the subject of a considerable number of monographs and catalogues. Unfortunately these are scattered through the publications of so many learned societies throughout the world, that it is extremely difficult to fring together all the materials needed for the study of any special subject.
The Genera des Coleopteres, commenced in 1854 by Lacordaire and Chapuis; the Genera des Coleopteres d'Europe (1857-62) published by Jacquelin du Val and Fairmaire, and the Genera of diurnal Lepidoptera (1846-1852) by Doubleday and Westwood, and other similar works have been so largely supplemented and superseted by those of later writers, that they are now practically obsolete. They have become almost useless to anyone who is unable to supplement them by referring to the numerous later works, and descriptions of new genera and species which have appeared since their publication.
It is the same with other orders of Insects, besides Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. In these also the old standard works have become more or less obsolete from similar causes.
Our object is to compress into one highly condensed work, all the scattered materials which may be required by students. The
'jfj ^