Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Butterflies Vol 1).djvu/19

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Introduction.
xv

acquired the MSS. of the volumes on the Papilionidæ, Pieridæ and Hesperiidæ left partially incompleted at Mr. de Nicéville’s death. These MSS. have been generously placed at my disposal for use in the compilation of the future volumes of this work.

In connection with this, I ought to add that the unique collection of Indo-Malayan Lepidoptera brought together by the late Mr. de Nicéville was acquired some little time before his death by the Indian Museum, and that through the kindness of Major Alcock, I.M.S., C.I.E., F.R.S., Superintendent Indian Museum, I have had the privilege of examining many of the types.

A few words with regard to the illustrations. This is the first volume of the Fauna series which has had any large number of coloured plates. The ten in this volume have been well executed by Mr. Horace Knight, and reproduced by the modern process of colour-printing which is getting rapidly perfected.