In addition to giving a history of butterfly collecting in Britain, this beautifully illustrated volume describes the equipment used and gives brief biographies of 101 deceased lepidopterists. The book is generously laced with anecdotes and quotations, and includes many contemporary monochrome portraits, accounts of selected species of historical interest, and an appraisal of the effects of collecting and of current conservation policies. Appendixes list all the British and Irish butterflies with their earlier, often confusing, and sometimes fanciful vernacular names, and provide a chronological account of entomological societies, publications, and significant events in the canon of British entomology.

The Aurelian Legacy is a fascinating account of the men and women who have made valuable contributions to our knowledge of British butterflies and of their early and often complex history. It is not only a good read but also an excellent reference source for current and future lepidopterists as well as social historians.