In 1691, Madame Maria Sybilla Merian, or Graf finn, produced the first part of her work, " Der Ran. pen wunderbare verwandelung and sonderbare bin. men-nahrang," which relates principally to European insects, of the order Lepidoptera. The authoress was a native of Frankfort on the Maine, wife of John Andrew Griiffinn. In early life she imbibed a taste for the study of insects, from being occupied at times in painting these objects as ornaments to her flower pieces, in which she is said to have excelled. The task of painting insects she performed with tolerable accuracy; yet there is a wireiness in the outline, and " a peculiar exuberance of style, incompatible with any faithful resemblance of nature." Many of her original drawings are preserved in the British Mu seum, as specimens of her performance.
In 1680 was published, " Johtmnis Jacobi ri, Iii,toria Naturalis Helvetise curiosa," with figures. Grew, in 1681, published his " Museum Regalia Societatis," being a catalogue, with descriptions of the natural and artificial curiosities, belonging to the Royal Society of London, preserved in Gresham Col lege. London, folio.
In the same year,English translation of Swam merdarn's " E ri Vita" was published in Lon don, and a French translation in Paris.
In 1682, a book, entitled, " Johannes Godartus of Insects, done into English, and methodised, with the addition of Notes; the figures etched in by Mr P. Fib;" was published at York. It is supposed to have been translated by Martin Lister ; the ini tials M. L. being at the close of the address to the reader. The impression, as we learn from the pre face, consisted of one hundred and fifty copies, which were intended merely for the curious. The notes are copious.
Hoppis, in the same year, published a Dissertation on the Migratory Locust.
In 1688, the second part of Merian's " Der Rau pen," &c. appeared.
In 1685, the first Latin edition of Swammerdam's great work was printed in Lyons, under the Historia generals Insectorum, Latinam fecit H. C. Hennius." In this year also, Lister's Latin edition of Goedart, entitled, " J. Goedartius de Insectis in methodum redactus, &c. Opera, M. Lister, &c. Item Appen dices ad Historiam Animalium Anglite, Ejusaem M. Lister, Londini, 1685," 8vo. Illustrated with several copperplates. In this work Lister has distributed the materials of the work into a new form of arrange ment, the merits of which are too obvious, not to be considered as an important improvement on the ori ginal production. He divides them into ten sec
tions, as follow: 1. Those with erect wings and angulated pupte, Butterflies.
2. Those with horizontal wings, proceeding from caterpillars, called by Goedart, Geometrce.
4. Libellulse, or dragon-flies.
5. Bees.
6. Beetles.
7. Grasshoppers.
8. Flies with two wings.
9. Chisel or Millipieds.
10. Spiders.
Although we allow to Lister all the credit due for this arrangement, yet we cannot avoid expressing our regret at his remarks on the original author, to whom he allows neither credit as a naturalist nor as a writer. He highly praises his skill as a painter; but says, " Goedart, after forty years' attention, seems to have made but little advancement in his skill in the nature of insects ; he rather appears to have diverted himself, than to have given himself any trouble to understand them; and yet, after all, you will find him every wherejust and correct, but in many places short and hardly intelligible." These opinions are delivered in a style of highly unbecom ing affected superiority over his author, and have gained him no reputation on the Continent, where he has been much neglected and condemned for his In 1687, Leuwenhoek produced his " Anatomist seu interiors rerum, cum animitarum tum inanimi tarum, ope et beneficio exquisitiasimorum microsco. rum detects." Geyereus, in the same year, wrote a treatise OM the medical effects of Spanish flies (Centharides), en titled, " Tractatus Physico-medicus- de Cantharidi bus." J. F. Griendel, about the same period, published at Neuremberg, in quarto, " Micrographia Nova," in which some notice is taken of insects.
In 1688 was published an Italian edition of Redi's experiments, entitled, " Esperienze intorno ally Ge nerasione deg)' Insetti." In this year also, Stephen Blankaart of Amster. dam published a work, " Schon Berg der Rupsen, Wormen, Maden en vliegende Dierkens dear uit voort-kommende." The author was a physician, wholdevoted much of his time to collecting insects. The plates are admirably executed ; but the work in other respects bears but a very indifferent character. It treats of the larvae of various insects, and a few in the perfect state are also noticed. Frisch and Lyonet consider it but a superficial production. Another edition was published at Leipsic in 1690.