Includes bibliographical references (pages 409-424) and index.

"A history of British butterflies cannot be separated from that of their collectors, since our knowledge of them is the result of four hundred years of collection and study. A mere fifty years ago many now uncommon species were widespread and abundant - their subsequent seemingly irreversible decline owing more to changes in land management and the environment than to past collecting. However, given the present state of butterfly populations, indiscriminate collecting can no longer be justified." "This book includes a short history of butterfly collecting in Britain and of the equipment used; brief biographies of 101 deceased lepidopterists, generously laced with anecdotes and quotations, and many contemporary monochrome portraits; and an appraisal of the effect of collecting and of current conservation policies. Appendixes list all the British and Irish butterflies with their earlier, often confusing and sometimes fanciful, vernacular names; and provide a chronological account of entomological societies, publications, and significant events in the canon of British entomology. The work concludes with a comprehensive Bibliography and Index." "Michael Salmon, with his collaborators, provides a fascinating account of the men and women who have made such valuable contributions to our knowledge of British butterflies and of their early and often complex history. The Aurelian Legacy is not only a good read, but is also an excellent reference source for lepidopterists and social historians."--BOOK JACKET.

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