228 General Notes Journalofthe Lepidopterists' Society JournaloftheLepidopterists'Society 61(4),2007,228-232 BUTTERFLY DRAWINGS BYJOHN ABBOT IN THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, THATAREWRONGLYATTRIBUTED TO AN "INFERIOR COPYIST" Additionalkeywords: Coleoptera, EdwardDoubleday,ThaddeusW. Harris, Lepidoptera. On 4 June 1839, the English lepidopterist Edward by the BSNH, it was described as containing "all the Doubleday(1810-1849) relatedaninterestingdiscovery originals of the drawings in Abbot and Smith's rarer tohis goodfriend,American entomologistThaddeusW. Lepidopterous Insects ofGeorgia,' beside manyodiers Harris (1795-1856). Doubleday wrote, "A few days yet unpublished" (Anonymous 1860, Higginson 1869). since I found at a Booksellers 84 drawings by Abbot Various sets ofAbbot'sdrawings havebeen misidentified containing 150 figures ofGeorgian Coleoptera & about as the originals for Smith & Abbot (1797), which are 350 of Lepidoptera. They are bound in a small folio currentlydepositedintheJohnWork Garrett Libraryof volume, & did belong to Swainson. As many of the theJohns Hopkins University(Calhoun2006). In 1946, things figured are newto me I thought that they might allofAbbot's illustrationsindiepossessionofdie BSNH notbe known toyou either, & so gave £7..7..0 forthem were purchased for $800 by Harvard University and brought them away determining to send them as a (accession record, Houghton Librarv, Harvard trifling present to you in my next parcel. IWhope they University). ThWese drawings, including die volume may contain something new to you" (T. Harris presentedtoT Harris in 1839, arenowpreservedin correspondence, Ernst Mayr Library, MCZ, Harvard the Houghton Library. University). Doubleday attributed these drawings to Thirty years after the volume was acquired by the the English-born naturalistJohnAbbot(1751-ca.l840), BSNH, Scudder(1888b) denouncedits associationwith who had been living in Georgia since 1776. On 15 Abbot. Kirby (1888) wondered why Scudder (1888a) September 1839, Harris expressed his gratitude forthe had overlooked it in his biography of Abbot. In "costly present of Abbot's drawings" (T. W. Harris response, Scudder retorted, "The small volume of correspondence, Mayr Library). paintings referredtobyMr. Kirbyisinthelibraryofthe Scudder (1869) transcribed Doubledays letter, but Boston Society of Natural History, and was not altered some ofthe details. He misquoted the letter to mentioned by me because the less said about it the say that the drawings "did not belong to Swainson," better. Itwas picked up at a book shop, bears the date when the opposite was indicated. The English 1830, and though Doubledaypaid seven guineas for it, naturalistWilliam Swainson (1789-1855) receivedmany it is certainly no—t the work of Abbot, but of a very drawings from John Abbot between 1818 and 1835 inferior copyist some of the paintings being the (Calhoun 2007). Swainson may have sold this volume merest daubs. It is scarcely the least value" (Scudder prior to his relocation to New Zealand in 1840. He 1888b). Following Scudder, Faxon (1896) ignored this offeredvarious drawings andspecimens forsale in 1839 volume when discussing Abbot's insect drawings at die (Parkinson 1984, Natusch & Swainson 1987). BSNH. Dow (1914) reiterated the opinion ofScudder, Doubledav probably purchased the volume not long consideringthemtobetheworkof"apupilorimitator." after the bookseller had obtained it, possibly from Lacking additional information, the Houghton Library Swainson himself. continues to catalog the volume as the work of an W Afterthe deathofT Harrisin 1856, hislibrarywas inferior copyist. However, this notion was proposed purchased fordie Boston SocietyofNatural Historyby when details ofAbbot's life and artistic methods were John P. dishing (1786-1862) (Anonymous 1860). poorly understood. A comparison ofthis volume with Cushing, a philanthropist from Watertown, other drawings and manuscripts indicates diat it is Massachusetts, also contributed to the purchase of unquestionablythe workofAbbot. Harris' insect collection for the BSNH. Higginson Analysis. I examined these illustrations at the (1906) recalled that Cushing was "the only man in Houghton Libraryin November2005. Theyare bound Boston, or its vicinity, who was suspected of being a in a small volume measuring approximately20 x 33 cm millionaire." Cushing amassed a fortune in China and (8 x 13 in), with mottled brown boards and a brown became a"wealthy,benevolentcitizen." He established leatherspine that lacks atitle. Inside thevolume is the a magnificent conservatoryand actively participated in bookplate ofEdward Doubleday. Placed below this is public enterprises and charities (Drake 1880). another bookplate that reads, "Boston Society of When the volume ofinsect illustrations was received Natural History/From the Libraryof/ThaddeusWilliam 229 Journalofthe Lepidopterists' Society INSECTS i GEORGIA ^fft.K.i/auiel6/k nujfrare ««</ &tau/tftU- Ae'iufo. Mrmm and-ee/iumtfiw.. \*6,k. 4AU.JU^r f$je. 1 Figs. 1—3. Pages fromJohnAbbot's 1830insectvolume (DepartmentofPrintingand GraphicArts. Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University; MS Tvp 426.5). 1, titlepage. 2, drawingno. 29ofCelastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards), Pa- piliopolyxenes Fabricius, andStrymon melinus (Hiibner). 3,drawingno. 32ofDanausplexippus (L.),Pijrguscommunis (Grote), andAmblyscirtesviali.s(W. H. Edwards). Harris, M.D./Presentedby P. Cushing, Esq." On the Abbot." Abbot replaced the word "rare" with J. first page, handwritten in ink, is a dedication from "remarkable" forhis 1827insectvolumeW. Doubleday: "To Dr. T. W. Harris (Entomologorum Dow (1914) mentioned that T Harris' son, Americanum Princeps), This volume of Drawings by Edward Doubleday Harris, recalled, "as a lad, circa Abbot is presented as a small token of esteem and 1851-2, he watched his father devote an afternoon to affectionate remembrance by his much obliged friend, engrossing a neat title page to a volume ofdrawings of Edward Doubleday." ThereisnoevidencethatWilliam John Abbot." Dow supposed this was for the 1830 Swainson owned the volume, thus Doubleday must insectvolume, but he did not realize that the title page have been informed ofthis fact by the bookseller. A for these drawings is written in Abbot's hand. Instead, small blue card, bearing a typed quote from Scudder Harris undoubtedlvcreated his title page foragroup of (1888b) that questions their provenance, was inserted unbound drawings that he borrowed in 1851 from into the volume in 1935. The title page ofthe volume, Abbot's friend, Augustus G. Oemler (letter from dated 1830, is written in John Abbot's distinctive hand Oemler, dated 14 March 1851, Mavr Library). These (Fig. 1). drawings were purchased from Oemler for the BSXH Unbeknownstto S. H. Scudder, Abbot alsoproduced in 1873 and transferred to Harvard Universityin 1946. twoverysimilarvolumes ofinsectdrawingsthatarenow The fate of Harris' title page is unknown, as it is no preserved in the Robert W. Woodruff Library (Emory longerincludedwith Oemler's collection ofdrawings in University), and the Kenan Research Center (Atlanta the Houghton Library. History Center). These volumes, completed in 1827 The 1830 volume contains 84 drawings. Thev are and 1828, are roughlythe same size as the 1830volume rendered in watercolor and graphite on wove paper and include the same type of title page (Baker 1959, without watermarks. Sixty drawings depict butterflies Rogers 1978). Analogous title pages are also included andmoths,whiletheremaining24arebeetles. Manyof with twovolumes ofAbbot's bird drawings, dated 1823 the illustrations bear penciled numbers and and 1827 (Sewell 1972, Simpson 1984). Abbot identifications in the hand ofT. W. Harris. Additional obviously produced multiple sets of drawings with notations are probably bv S. H. Scudder and include similartitle pages between 1820 and 1830. These title references tootherAbbot drawings thatwere ownedby pages are characterizedby large block letters that read the BSNH (e.g. the Oemler set). The figures are "BIRDS ofGEORGIA"and"INSECTS ofGEORGIA" arranged into geometric patterns diat usuallv feature (Fig. 1). Script subtitles read "Consisting ofthe most one or two large species with two or more smaller rare kinds Drawn and coloured from Nature by John species (Figs. 2, 3). Theyarenotplacedintotaxonomic Volume 61, Number 4 230 Table 1. ButterflyspeciesdepictedinJohnAbbot's 1830volumeofinsectdrawingsintheHoughton Library, HarvardUniversity. Figures: D=dorsal. V=ventral, m=male, f=female. Figures are listed top tobottom, left to right. Nomenclature follows Oplcr& Warren (2006). Drawingno. Speciesdepicted Figures 25 a.Ancyloxyphanumitor(Fabrieius) Dm,Vf Dm b.Amblyscirtesaesculapias(Fabrieius) c.Papilioglaucus L. (darkform) Df d.Amblyscirtesalternata (Grote&Robinson) Df e.Atrytonearogos(Boisduval&LeConte) Df f.Anatrytonelogon (W.H.Edwards) Dm 26 a.PapilioglaucusL. Dm,Vm b.Poanesyehl(Skinner) Dm,Df 27 a.PapiliopalamedesDrury Dm b.Politesvibex(Geyer) Dm,Df c.PapiliocresphontesCramer Dm 28 a.Papiliotroilus L. Dm,Df b. Erynnisjuvenalis (Fabrieius)orE. horatius (Scudder&:Burgess) Dm,Df 29 a.Celastrinaneglecta(W. H. Edwards) Dm,Df SeeFig.2 b.Papiliopolyxenes Fabrieius Dm,Df c. Stnjmon melinus (Hiibner) Dm,Vm 30 a.Eurytidesmarcellus(Cramer)(summerform) Dm Dm b.Eurytidesmarcellus(Cramer) (springform) c.Hemiargusceraunus (Fabrieius) Dm,Df 31 a.Battusphilenor(Linnaeus) Dm,Df,Vf b.Hernieuptychiasosybius(Fabrieius) Df,Vm c.Neonymphaareolatus(J. E. Smidi) Df,VI 32 a.Danausplexippus(L.) Dm,Df SeeFig.3 b.Pyrguscommunis(Grote) Dm. Df c.Amblyscirtesoialis (W. H. Edwards) Df Dm 33 a. ?Oligoriamaculata (W. H. Edwards) b.Panoquinaocola(W. H. Edwards) Df c. ?Euphyesvestris(Boisduval) Df,Vm d.Danausgilippus(Cramer) Dm e. Erynnisbrizo(Boisduval&LeConte) Df f. ?Erynniszarucco(Lucas) Df 34 a.Vanessaatalanta(L.) Df,Vf b.Phyciodesthaws(Drury) Dm. Df c.Erynnismartialis(Scudder) Df d.Limenitisarchippus(Cramer) Dm,Vm 231 Journalofthe Lepidopterists' Society Table 1. Continued Drawingno. Species Depicted Figures 35 a.Agraulisvanillae(L.) Dm,Df,Vf b.NostraIherminier(Latreille) Dm, Df c.Leremaaccius(J.E. Smith) Dm,Df 36 a.Cercyonispegala(Fabricius) Dm,Df b.Thorybespylades(Scudder) Dm,Vm c.Megistocymela(Cramer) Df d.Hesperiaattains(W.H.Edwards) Dm a.Asterocampaclyton (Boisduval&LeConte) Dm b.Asciamonuste(L.) Dm Dm c.Euptoietaclaudia (Cramer) 38 a.Asterocampaceltis (Boisduval&LeConte) Dm.Vm b.Anatrytonelogon (W.H. Edwards) Df,Vf c.Hijlcpliilaphyleus(Drury) Dm, Df d.Atrytonearogos(Boisduval&LeConte) Df.Vf e.Junoniacoenia Hiibner Df 39 a.Atlideshalesus(Cramer) Dm, Df b.Fenisecatarquinius(Fabricius) Dm, Df c.Calephelisvirginiensis(Guerin-Meneville) Df 40 a.Polygoniainterrogationis(Fabricius) Dm,Vm b.Calycopiscecrops(Fabricius) Dm, Df c.Cupidocomyntas(Godart) Dm 41 a.Autochtoncellus(Boisduval&LeConte) Dm Dm b.Achalaruslyciades(Geyer) Dm c.Thorybesbathyllus(J. E.Smith) d.Thorybessp. Dm, Df(2) e.Erynniszanwco(Lucas) Dm f.Epargyreusclarus(Cramer) Dm g. Urbanusproteus(L.) Dm 42 a.Xerenecesonia(Stoll) Dm,Df.\"m b. Satyriumcalanus(Hiibner) Dm, Df,Vm c.Enodiaportlandia (Fabricius) Df.Vf 43 a.Phoebissennae(L.) Dm, Df b.Vanessavirginiensis(Drury) -Dm,Vf 44 a.Euremadaira (Godart) Dm,Df b.Abaeisnicippe(Cramer) Dm c.Abaeisnicippe(Cramer)(yellowform'fiava'Strecker) Df d.Pyrisitialisa(Boisduval&LeConte) Dm,Df Volume 61, Number 4 232 order, but simply grouped into visually pleasing Calhoun,J. V. 2006. Aglimpse intoa"floraet entomologia": The compositions. Abbot employed diis same format for his NaturalHistoryoftheRarerLepidopterousInsectsofGeorgiaby E. Smithand Abbot(1797). Lepid.Soc.60:1-37. 1827and1828insectvolumes. J.. 2007. JohnAJ.bbot'sbutterflyJd.rawings forWilliam Swainson, Atleast64speciesofbutterflies areportrayed (Table 1), includinggeneralcommentsaboutAbbot'sartisticmethodsand including some diat Abbot rarely figured, such as Dow,wrRi.ttPe.n1o9b1s4e.rvJaotihonnsA.bbJo.tL,eopfidG.eoSrogci.a.61:1N-2e0w. YorkEntomol. Soc. Panoquina ocola (W. H. Edwards), Poanes ijehl (Skinner), 22:65-71. J. Hemiargus ceraunus (Fabricius), and Calephelis Drake,S.A. 1880. HistoryofMiddlesexCounty,Massachusetts,con- virginiensis (Guerin-Meneville). The single figure of tainingcarefullypreparedhistoriesofeverycityandtown inthe county, bywell-knownwriters; a general historyofthe county, Amblyscirtes vialis (W. H. Edwards) (Fig. 3) is his only from the earliest to the present time. Vol. 2. Estes 6c Lauriat, known representation of this species. Characteristic of Boston.572pp. Abbot's methods, duplicate figures are shared among die Faxon,W. 1896. JohnAbbot'sdrawingsofthebirdsofGeorgia.Auk 13:204-215. 1827, 1828, and 1830volumes. Asexpected,die 1828and Hiccinson,T.W. 1869. MemoirofThaddeusWilliam Harris. Occ. 1830volumesaremostalike. The 1828volumeportrays54 Pap. BostonSoc. Nat. His. l:xi—xlvii. ofdiesamebutterflyspeciesasdie 1830volume,anddiree . 1906. Partofaman'slife. Houghton, Mifflin,&Co., Boston. 311pp. compositions are exact duplicates. The 1827 volume Kirbv, W. F. 1888. John Abbot, the aurelian. Can . Entomol. contains only43 ofdie same butterflyspecies as die 1830 20:230-232 (reprinted in Nineteenth Ann. Rpt. Entomol. Soc. volume,andnocompositionsareduplicated. NatuOsnctha,riSo.&188G8.:5S0w-a5i1n)s.on. 1987.William SwainsonofFernGrove Abbotwas79yearsoldin1830. Theinsectdrawingsdiat F.R.S, F.L.S,&c: anatomyofanineteenth-centurynaturalist. S. he prepared during diis period are generally less precise Natusch,Wellington,NewZealand. 184pp. thanhisearlierwatercolors. Someofdie figuresarefeebly Opler,P.A.&A. D.Warren. 2006. LepidopteraofNorthAmerica. 4. Scientific names list for butterfly species ofNorth America, renderedanddifficulttoidentify,butdiisrelaxedstyleisnot north ofMexico. Contrib. C. P. Gillette Mus. ofArth. Biodiv., unusualamongAbbotsinsectillustrations (Calhoun2007). ColoradoStateUniv., Ft.Collins,Colorado.S3pp. It has recentlybeen shown diat die qualityofhis artwork Parkainntsiopno,dePs.,Cp.p.14998-46.3.WiIlnliHaomarSew,aiMn.soEn.1&789L.-1G8.55B:elrleli(cesds.i)n.thIen variedconsiderablyduringdie sixdecades thathe livedin search of New Zealand's scientific heritage. Royal Soc. New America(e.g. Rogers-Price 1983, Simpson 1984, Calhoun ZealandBull.21. 2006, 2007). Abbot is not known to have produced any Rogers,V. 1978. JohnAbbot, SamuelWrightandavolumeofAb- bot'swatercolors. AtlantaHist. Soc.22:29^4. moreinsectdrawings ofdiis type after 1830. Heseemsto Rogers-Price,V. 1983J.. JohnAbbotinGeorgia:dievisionofanatu- haveceasedworkingaboutfiveyearslateratdieageof84. ralistartist(1751-ca.1840).Madison-MorganCult.Ctr,Madison, The 1830 insect watercolors were created by a Georgia. 149pp. SCUDDER, S. H. (ed.). 1869. Entomological correspondence of remarkable artist in die twilight of his career. They ThaddeusWilliam Harris, M.D. Boston Soc. Nat. His., Boston, journeyed from Americato England, dien back again. In Massachusetts.375pp.,4pi. die process diey passed through the hands of three . 1888a. JohnAbbot,theaurelian. Can. Entomol. 20:150-154 (reprinted in Nineteenth Ann. Rpt. Entomol. Soc. Ontario legendary nineteendi century naturalists, bridging die 1888:48-50). scientific divide between the Old and New Worlds. No 1888b. NotebyMr. Scudder, pg. 232. In Kirby,W. F. John longercan diese illustrations be regarded as "scarcelythe SeweAlblb,otC,.t1h9e7a2u.reJlioahnn.ACbabnot.'sEnsteovmeonlt.h2b0ir:d23b0o-o2k32n.owownedbylo- leastvalue." calcollector Savannah News-Press. Sunday Magazine. Oct. 21, 1973. Sect. F:l. Acknowledgements SIMPSON,M.B.,Jr. 1984. Theartist-naturalistJohnAbbot(1751-ca. (DuHraIorswveoalurllded-MUleniilkvieestrhos,ittfhyoa)r,naksestsihpseetcaliniacblerladyruiraHnisongpoefmtyhMevaisHyitoouagnahdntdtohneCpaLerirobmlriiasnr-ey SmithU1,8n4iJ0t.)e:Ed.cS&toantJte.rsiA.bbuNbtooirtot.nhsC1a7to9r7o.ltihneTaheoHirsnntai.ttuhRroealvlo.gh6yi1s:to3ofr4y7t-oh3fe9t0hs.eourtahreearslteeprin- sion to reproduce Abbot's artwork. Thomas Fordarrangedfor dopterousinsectsofGeorgia, includingtiieirsystematiccharac- photography. Robert Youngand Dana Fisher (Ernst Mavr Li- ters, the particulars of their several metamorphoses, and the brary, MCZ, HarvardUniversity)kindlyprovidedaccesstoman- plantsonwhichtheyfeed,collectedfromtheobservationsofMr. utshcermi.ptsDaivnidthFeiarulcdasre(WaonoddrgurfafnLtiebdrapreyr,mEimssoiroynUtnoivqeurosittey)fraonmd Jwaorhdns,AbCbaodte,llm&anDyavyieeasr,sarnedsiJ.deWnhtitien,thLaotndcoounn.tr2y1.42ppv.o,ls1.0J4.pEi.d- MichaelRose(KenanResearchCenter,AtiantaHistoryCenter) accommodatedmyvisitsandansweredmanyquestions. Finally, John V. Calhoun, 977 Wicks Dr., Palm Harbor, FL aInofofneyrmmoyusgrraetviiteudweftoorJthaemiersvaKl.uAabdlaemcsom(mDealnttosn.College)andan 34684. Research Associate Florida State Collection of Arthropods DPI, FDACS, Gainesville, Florida 32614, Literature Cited USA. AnonByomsotuosn.Soc1.86N0a.t.HJiasn.ua7r:y2140,-211816.0. Report ofthe Library. Proc. Receivedforpublication20May,revisedandaccepted10August 2007 Baker, W. B. 1959. JohnAbbot'sinsects ofGeorgia. Emory Univ. Qtly. 15:146-152.