British Butterflies

A butterfly's antennae, eggs and wing markings become clues to identification in W. S. Coleman's illustrated natural history. Written for young entomologists and country walkers, the guide describes Britain's native butterflies alongside their development, habits and habitats. Coleman begins by distinguishing butterflies from moths, then examines the tiny patterned surfaces of eggs and the plants chosen to feed the next generation of caterpillars.

The species accounts show how closely a collector must look. The Green-veined White varies in size and colour, while the Bath White attracts attention for its rarity in Britain compared with nearby France. Descriptions of markings, seasonal appearances and food plants accompany references to the illustrated plates. With practical coverage of collecting and preserving specimens, this volume offers readers a view of nature study shaped by patient observation and the collecting interests expressed in its 1860 preface.