Paris, Rothschild, 1867. 4to (27.0 x 21.1 cm). Title in red and black, 380 pp. ([ii], 222, 156); 50 lithographed plates, of which 49 finely hand-coloured, and one tinted, acting as frontispiece. 62 nice woodcuts in the text depicting, e.g., the "chasse aux papillons". Original blue pictorial cloth with new blue cloth spine. Boards with bevelled edges. Later blue morocco labels with gilt title and vignette on spine. All edges gilt.

Includes a nice literary introduction by George Sand: "Donc le poète et l'artiste ne peuvent que gagner dans les études naturelles et les lois de la vie sont tellement harmonieuses dans leur enchaînement, que, pour bien comprendre l'énigme de la vie humaine, il faut comprendre celle du moindre atome admis au privilège de la vie". The tissue-guarded plates are quite artistic, but accurately show the different species of butterflies and caterpillars. The French entomologist Louis Marie Alphonse Depuiset (1822-1886) wrote the second, more scientific part. According to Horn-Schenkling the real name of the author is Jean-François-Maurice-Arnauld Dudevant (1823-1889), the son of the French writer George Sand, "one of the most notable writers of the European Romantic era. She has more than 50 volumes of various works to her credit, including tales, plays and political texts, alongside her 70 novels" (Wikipedia). This preface is one of her lesser-known works. Inscribed on the title in an old hand, G. de Grancy. As usual some foxing in the text, but with the original beautiful pictorial front and back covers which are richly ornamented in gilt. Horn-Schenkling II(4), p. 13; Nissen ZBI, 3560.