Illustrations of British blood-sucking flies / with notes by Ernest Edward Austen.

  • British Museum (Natural History). Department of Entomology
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Illustrations of British blood-sucking flies / with notes by Ernest Edward Austen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    12/148 page 8
    In the following pages no attempt has been made to supply a detailed technical description of each species illustrated in the plates. In the case of the majority of the species, at any rate, it is believed that the plates will render such descriptions unnecessary, and, apart from this, the many demands upon the author's official time would have made their preparation impossible. The same reason, coupled with limitations of space, has also unfortunately necessitated the omission of a considerable amount of matter relating to the life- history of the species mentioned, but brief notes on life-history are included in the remarks upon each family. Since it was thought that British readers might be interested to learn in what other countries our native Blood-Sucking Flies are found, the geographical distribution of each species so far as it is known has in all cases been stated. References to original descriptions of genera and species, and discussions of synonymy, though necessarily included in a monograph, have here been omitted as out of place in a work which does not profess to be more than a popular account of the insects of which it treats. Since the primary object of this book is to facilitate by means of the plates the identification of Blood-Sucking Flies, the males that (probably with the exception of those of species belonging to the Muscidae and Hippoboscida?) do not suck blood have not, as a rule, been illustrated. The original water-colour drawings of the species represented have been prepared by Mr. A. J. Engel Terzi with his usual care and exceptional skill, and a word of acknowledgment is also due to Mr. Harry F. Witherby (of Messrs. Witherby and Co.), who has personally supervised their reproduction, and has been unremitting in his endeavours to produce thoroughly satisfactory copies of the artist's beautiful work. A special feature deserving of note in connection with the illustrations is the use of permanent paper for the plates, instead of the perishable coated paper generally employed for three-colour work. The change has greatly increased the difficulties of reproduction, but it is hoped that it will be appreciated by purchasers of the book. Field notes on many of the species illustrated and mentioned in the text have been kindly contributed by Lieut-Colonel J. W,
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3