Latreille, P. A. — Encyclopédie Méthodique. Insectes. IX. [The complete "Pap.", or, the text part on butterflies].

Paris, Mme. Veuve Agasse, 1819. 4to (27.6 x 21.3 cm). Title to the Encyclopédie, title to the Insectes volumes. ii, 328 pp. Original plain boards with printed abel on the spine. = A rare, late, and uncut part of the Ultimate Encyclopaedia and the largest of all great Encyclopaedias and the most important work published during the French Enlightement. This section - complete in itself - deals with butterflies. As nearly all 19th-century parts of the Éncyclopedie, this part is very rare. Written, with the assistence of the French entomologist Jean Baptiste Godart (1775-1825), by the French zoologist (principally entomologist) Pierre André Latreille (1762- 1833). "Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare beetle species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis. He published his first important work in 1796 (Précis des caractères génériques des insectes), and was eventually employed by the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. His foresighted work on arthropod systematics and taxonomy gained him respect and accolades, including being asked to write the volume on arthropods for George Cuvier's monumental work, Le Règne Animal, the only part not by Cuvier himself. Latreille was considered the foremost entomologist of his time, and was described by one of his pupils as 'the prince of entomologists'. Although Latreille named many species, his primary interest was in describing genera. He introduced the concept of the "type species", a species to which the name of a genus is firmly attached. Similarly, he favoured the method of naming families after one of the constituent genera, rather than some defining feature of the group, implicitly designating a type genus for the family" (Wikipedia). Being uncut, this copy has the widest possible margins. Printed label partly faded; paper covers abraded on lower spine and a small part of the front board; otherwise, very good, complete. Schmitt, S. (2018) Inventaire des livraisons, des auteurs et du contenu de l’Encyclopédie méthodique (1782-1832).