Catalogue of Orthopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Part I. Phasmidae

Description:

Rare and important work on Phasmatodea (Stick Insects). Includes many new species descriptions. Plates I-XL are lithographs, supplementary plates I-VIII are engravings. This volume is the only one to be published of the 'Catalogue of Orthopterous Insects', but is complete in itself. John Obadiah Westwood (1805 –1893) was an English entomologist and archaeologist. In the introduction to this work he states ‘The object in preparing the present Catalogue has been to give at one view a description of all the species of Phasmidae [stick insects] now in the British Museum Collection, and also a description of those species which are known to exist in other Collections, but which are at present desiderata in the Museum Collection, to enable travellers, collectors, and others to assist in completing the National Collection’.

This work is now regarded as the most important publication of the 19th century dealing with Phasmatodea. Many species were described for the first time and the detailed descriptions and 48 plates still make it an invaluable work for the identification of phasmids. (www.phasmatodea.com)

[Horn Schenkling 24010; Nissen ZBI 4379]

Condition

4to, orig. brown, blind-stamped cloth, gilt titles to spine, a few nicks to head/foot of spine. Very clean.