Entomology in Sport, and Entomology in Earnest; by The Honorable Mrs W[ard] & Lady M[ahon]

Description:

Rare. Charming whimsical book, 'intended, not so much for the scientific, as for the young or the comparatively uninstructed reader. The authors have therefore aimed at making them entertaining, rather than complete or systematic; an agreeable bait, in short, by means of which unwary youth may find themselves caught in the meshes of science, while seeking only for amusement.' - Preface.

Freeman 3881.

Mary Ward (the Hon. Mrs W.) (1827-1869) (born Mary King, Ferbane, Co. Offaly, Ireland and cousin of William, 3rd Earl of Rosse, the renowned Irish astronomer) was an '...exceptionally fine artist and painter, she drew many accurate and delightful illustrations of insects. She became well known as a naturalist, astronomer, microscopist and artist, and was the first woman to write and have published a book on the microscope and its uses in 1858...' (J. O'Connor, 'Insects and Entomology', in 'Nature in Ireland: A Scientific and Cultural History' ed. J.W. Foster (1997)). The present book was written in collaboration with her sister, Lady Jane Mahon (Lady M.).

Condition

Attractive hand-coloured lithographed frontis, title and dedication, together with 35 hand-coloured vignettes in the text, 8vo, orig. dec. cloth, a little rubbed to extremities; intricate gilt design to front cover, blind stamped to rear, aeg. Vg. Contemporary owner's name (dated 1862) to top of title. Later from the library of K.G.V. Smith (1929-2017), leading British dipterist at the Natural History Museum, London, and editor of the Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, without his name, but with his pencil note to endpaper.