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The Marble Butterfly

Order Item BSM-P84

$25.00

Captain Thomas Brown (1785-1862), was a British naturalist born in Perth, Scotland and was educated at the Edinburgh High School. After joining the Forfar and Kineardine Militia at the age of twenty, he was raised to rank of Captain in 1811. While quartered in Manchester, he became interested in nature. He purchased the Fifeshire flax mill after his regiment was disbanded. The mill burned down before he had the opportunity to insure it. Also a malacologist (studying mollusks), he began to write books about nature to earn a living. For twenty-two years beginning in 1840, he was curator of the Manchester Museum. Additionally, he became a fellow of the Linnean Society, a member of the Wernerian, Kirwanian, and Phrenological Societies. Of the several natural history books he wrote, some dealt with conchology (studying the shells of mollusks). There was a shell named after him called Zebina browniana.

Plate XXXV, Papilio marmorea. The Marble Butterfly has black upper wing surfaces, beautifully marked with various shaped spots of white and yellow. There is a belt of white and black square spots surrounding the posterior margins of both wings, and on the lower ones are two annulated eye-like spots. The female differs considerably from the male, the lower wings being of a tawny orange colour.

This particular plate is an original hand-coloured engraving from "The Book of Butterfies, Sphinges, and Moths" by Captain Thomas Brown, Volume One (1834). This bright, vividly coloured plate measures approximately 4 X 6.5 inches. It is exceptionally clean for the age with no foxing. Please note that our scan brightness was adjusted to show the true colour of the engraving. The actual plate has beautiful age toning. The upper left corner is very mildly browned, as is the bottom edge. The engraved portion could be matted and/or framed to an area 3 .5 inches square, or larger to include the plate number and name of butterfly. The corresponding descriptive text page is included with the purchase of this fine engraving.

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