132 - [NATURAL HISTORY - ENTOMOLOGY] - DUPUIS, Aristide

[NATURAL HISTORY - ENTOMOLOGY] - DUPUIS, Aristide Butterflies: A Guide for the Lepidopterist Paris, C. Albessard, Bookseller and Publisher, 1863 In-12°. Half-calf with corners. Spine with 4 raised bands edged with double blind-stamped lines. Author’s labels in red shagreen and title label in olive shagreen. Front cover repaired. Normal wear and tear. Foxing and discoloration, except on the plates. First edition of this delightful 19th-century introductory and field guide, highly sought after for the quality of its color illustrations. A renowned botanist and regular contributor to major natural history encyclopedias, Aristide Dupuis (1830–1883) presents here a portable guide specifically designed to assist collectors and enthusiasts of lepidoptera. The text offers a wealth of practical advice on collecting methods, preparing insects for display in boxes, rearing caterpillars, and a systematic description of the main diurnal and nocturnal species of Europe. The bibliophilic appeal of this Albessard edition lies in its magnificent set of physical illustrations: the volume contains 16 separately printed plates, finely wood-engraved or lithographed, fully colored and gummed at the time of publication, totaling 90 illustrations of insects, caterpillars, and food plants (including 89 colored figures and one anatomical figure in black). References: Horn-Schenkling, *Index Litteraturae Entomologicae*, no. 5639.