“The Lepidoptera of Ceylon”

Abstract

THE Colonial Government has recently presented to the library of this establishment Parts I. and II. of the work above named, for the publication of which it granted a large sum of public money. The origin of the book was the existence here at Peradeniya of a very fine series of original drawings made during a course of years by the well-known botanical draftsman in the employ of the Gardens—Mr. William de Alwis—under the careful supervision of my eminent predecessor Dr. Thwaites. The plates now published are copies of these figures (the originals are in the Colombo Museum), and to these, Mr. F. Moore has added brief technical descriptions. As a botanist it would be presumption in me to express an opinion as to the merit of the text of an entomological book. There are thirteen new genera in the first part and six in the second, but only three out of the nineteen contain any new species; so at all events we get plenty of changes in the names of many long and well-known butterflies. But in the interests of scientific literature in general, I feel bound to enter a protest against the legend printed at the foot of every plate, “F. C. Moore, del. et lith.” as it is incorrect as to the facts. I have already stated by whom the figures were really drawn; it is however only fair to the unassuming Sinhalese artist to allow that as put on the stone and published they are very greatly inferior to the admirable originals. One would like to think that it was a consciousness of this that led Mr. F. C. Moore to substitute his own name for that of W. de Alwis. But however this may be, it is time that some explanation was given by him of what looks like very shabby treatment of one of the best and mast deserving natural history artists of the East.