Talk:British Entomology
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The case for Alexander Henry Haliday's coauthorship of British Entomology.
As well, as sending manuscripts for inclusion in British Entomology Haliday supplied drawings of dissections of mouthparts, antennae, thorax, abdomen and wings. Folio 512, August 1, 1834 furnishes a typical example.
The text for this folio reads, following the description of the genus ROGAS Nees, Hal., Curt. and species BALTAETUS Hal. MSS.__ Curt. Guide Gen. 555 "In the Cabinet of Mr. Haliday"
"This pretty genus contains a considerable number of species, many of which have been added by Mr. Haliday, who has kindly presented me with several, together with a list of them. They are charakterised by a small head, long antennae, sessile and opake abdomen, &c.
10. R. dispar Hal. The sexes are very dissimilar in shape and colour, the male being slender, the female having a white ring round the middle of the antennae, which are black, roufous at the base. On Larches in Autumn, Mr. Haliday; and the female has been taken by Mr. Dale. 3. testaceus Fab. Taken in Ireland by Mr Haliday as well as No. 8 12. balteatus Hal.__Curt. B.E. pl. 512. Taken near the Harbour of Donaghadee [ Co. Down, Ireland], by Mr. Haliday. 8. nobilis Hal. " Black, shining, pubescent, mouth collar and legs reddish-ferruginous, apex of posterior thighs and tibiae, and all the tarsi black; abdomen rugose, rufous, 1st segment but a black spot at the base, posterior portion smooth shining black, with golden pubescence [ the quote is not closed]. On Umbelliferae near Holywood, Mr. Haliday; Monk's Wood, Mr. Dale. 9. rugulosus Ess. Taken by Mr. Haliday in Ireland"
It is highly likely, though not proven that Haliday provided drawings for Curtis to engrave. However dissections accompanied the specimens and Curtis observation Obs. R. bicolor Spin. was the species dissected and described" refers to Haliday's work.
A second example is the earlier Folio 289 December 1st 1829
The species illustrated here is CHAENON ANCEPS
"Type of the Genus Chaenon Anceps, Hal.
ANCEPS Hal. MSS.
In the Cabinets of Mr. Haliday and the Author.
"Since the genus Alysia was illustrated the, present group has been discovered by Mr. Haliday, to whose liberality I am indebted for the species I possess and Mr. F. Walker has favoured me with his collection,to enable me to arrange and give slight characters of the whole. The species have been taken by the former gentleman in Ireland, from July to September, in moist meadows, and by the latter near Southgate as erly as the end of June. Walker's Southgate Chaenon were all identified by Haliday using the manusript names supplied to Curtis. They were then returned. The length of the antennae is probably only a sexual character, and I suspect the species depart considerably from the type, in the form of the female abdomen, and one is destitute of wings. 1. C. anceps Curt. Brit. Ent. pl. 289. July, amongst long grass in drains. Note that whilst attributing anceps, the type of the genus to Haliday above Curtis does not do so here. 2. C. gracilis Hal.___ Slender, black; legs testaceous, 4 posterior thighs piceous, tarsi fuscus. Nearly as large as No. 1. 3. C. elegans Hal.___ Probably a small var. of No. 2. 4. C. viduus Hal.___ Black, abdomen piceous, anterior thighs beneath and tips of coxae ochreous. 5. C. obscurus Curt.___ Similar to No. 4 but smaller, legs ochreous, 4 posterior thighs and tibiae, except at the base, piceous, tarsi fuscous. 6. C. similis Curt.___ Smaller the legs brighter. 7. C. affinis Hal.___ As large, and more robust, than No. 2: anterior thighs and tibiae ochreous. 8. C. fuliginosus Curt.___ Like No. 7, with a rufous spot on the body; the anterior thighs and tibiae, and the coxae and tibiae of intermediate legs, ochreous. 9. C. cingulatus Hal.___As small as No. 6; abdomen pale piceous, ochreous in the centre, legs ochreous, thighs and apex of tibiae 4 posterior and tarsi, fuscous. 10. C. rufinotatus Curt.___ More robust, the black and ochre more bright; antennae except the basal joint, ochreous. 11. C. brevicornis Hal.___ Antennae short, ochreous at the base: abdomen piceous, ochreous in the centre: Legs bright ochre, apex of 4 posterior thighs, tips of hind tibiae, and tarsi piceous. 12. C. apterus Curt.___The smallest, wings none. Testaceous; head extremity of antennae, apex of abdomen,and tips of tarsi blackish.
to be continued. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Notafly (talk • contribs) 14:36, 27 November 2006 (UTC) Reply
Under "Contemporary Reviews", following the first lengthy quotation there is an assessment of the quotation that may express too much opinion. Should this be revised to be less critical of the critic? "The criticism outlined in the penultimate paragraph was entirely unjustified as Curtis was well aware of the danger and modified Jacob Hübner's slightly exaggerated and somewhat crudely rendered original drawings .... At no time since has any entomologist supported the criticism or made comment ...." SaturniidNymph (talk) 03:48, 1 January 2026 (UTC) Reply