A reprint of a classical work in the Cambridge Library Collection.
Sir John Richardson (1787-1865), surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer, went on Sir John Franklin's first two Arctic expeditions as ship's doctor and naturalist, and made observations and collected a large number of plant and animal specimens from the Canadian Arctic. On his return to England after the second expedition he began to write this four-volume work of natural history, first published between 1829 and 1837.
A volume is dedicated to each of the classes of mammal, bird, fish and insect, which are found in the Canadian Arctic. This work is an interesting example of pre-Darwinian natural history, full of detailed descriptions of the appearance, anatomy and behaviour of the different species. Volume 4 was first published in 1837 and was written by distinguished entomologist William Kirby (1759-1850) using Richardson's specimens from the second expedition. It focuses on the species of insect found in the Canadian Arctic.
Introduction
Subclass Mandibulata: Order Coleoptera:
1. Adephaga
2. Brachelytra
3. Entaphia
4. Necrophaga
5. Philhydrida
6. Lamellicornia
7. Sternoxa
8. Xylophaga
9. Rhyncophora
10. Phytophaga
11. Aphidiphaga
12. Heteromera
13. Malacoderma
Order Orthoptera:
1. Saltatoria
Order Neuroptera:
1. Libellulina
2. Perlina
Order Trichoptera
Order Hymenoptera:
1. Terebrantia
2. Urocerata
3. Parasita
4. Aculeata
Subclass Haustellata: Order Hemiptera:
1. Geocorisa
2. Hydrocorisa
Order Homoptera
Order Lepidoptera:
1. Diurna
2. Crepuscularia
3. Nocturna
Order Diptera:
1. Nemocera
2. Tanystoma
3. Athericera
Order Homaloptera
Order Aphaniptera