Aurelian (entomology)
Encyclopedia
Aurelian is an archaic word for lepidopterist
, one who is interested in butterflies. The term is derived from aurelia, meaning chrysalis, and relates to the golden color it may attain just before the butterfly emerges; the Latin word for gold is aurum.
The Society of Aurelians in London
, England
, was one of the oldest organized bodies of specialists in any branch of zoology
and was probably founded by Joseph Dandridge
and a few others. They collected and documented insects from the 1690s, and these collections were made available to the naturalist John Ray
. The history of the society is known only from the works of Benjamin Wilkes
in his book The English Moths and Butterflies (1748-9). The society flourished for a time but came to an abrupt end in March 1748. While members of the society were in a meeting in Swan Tavern in Exchange Alley, a great fire broke out in Cornhill and enveloped them. All the members escaped, but their entire collection, library, and records were destroyed. This event was documented by Moses Harris
in The Aurelian; or, Natural History of English Insects (1765). The loss disheartened the group so much that they never managed to regroup again.
Aurelian societies were formed several times in Britain, but each time they collapsed. Edward Newman in his Grammar of Entomology (1835) notes:
Vladimir Nabokov
described a lepidopterist in the short story The Aurelian
, based on the lepidopterist Hans Rebel
.
Lepidopterist
A lepidopterist is a person who specialises in the study of Lepidoptera, members of an order encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
, one who is interested in butterflies. The term is derived from aurelia, meaning chrysalis, and relates to the golden color it may attain just before the butterfly emerges; the Latin word for gold is aurum.
The Society of Aurelians in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was one of the oldest organized bodies of specialists in any branch of zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and was probably founded by Joseph Dandridge
Joseph Dandridge
Joseph Dandridge , was an English silk-pattern designer of Huguenot descent, a natural history illustrator, an amateur naturalist specialising in entomology, and a leading figure in the Society of Aurelians of which he was a founder member.Despite having left no published works, and not being part...
and a few others. They collected and documented insects from the 1690s, and these collections were made available to the naturalist John Ray
John Ray
John Ray was an English naturalist, sometimes referred to as the father of English natural history. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after "having ascertained that such had been the practice of his family before him".He published important works on botany,...
. The history of the society is known only from the works of Benjamin Wilkes
Benjamin Wilkes
Benjamin Wilkes was an 18th-century artist and naturalist in London. Wilkes' profession was 'painting of History Pieces and Portraits in Oyl'. When a friend invited him to a meeting of the Aurelian Society, where he first saw specimens of butterflies and moths, he became convinced that nature...
in his book The English Moths and Butterflies (1748-9). The society flourished for a time but came to an abrupt end in March 1748. While members of the society were in a meeting in Swan Tavern in Exchange Alley, a great fire broke out in Cornhill and enveloped them. All the members escaped, but their entire collection, library, and records were destroyed. This event was documented by Moses Harris
Moses Harris
Moses Harris was an English entomologist and engraver.In the Natural System of Colours he examined the work of Isaac Newton and tried to reveal the multitude of colours which can be created from three basic ones...
in The Aurelian; or, Natural History of English Insects (1765). The loss disheartened the group so much that they never managed to regroup again.
Aurelian societies were formed several times in Britain, but each time they collapsed. Edward Newman in his Grammar of Entomology (1835) notes:
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
described a lepidopterist in the short story The Aurelian
The Aurelian
"The Aurelian" is a short story first written in Russian as Pil'gram by Vladimir Nabokov during his exile in Berlin in 1930. After translation by Nabokov and Peter Pertzov it was published in English in the Atlantic Monthly in 1941...
, based on the lepidopterist Hans Rebel
Hans Rebel
Hans Rebel was an Austrian entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera.Rebel, who had an early interest in natural history and butterflies, first became a lawyer. He devoted his spare time to studying Lepidoptera and established the entomological section of the Botanical and Zoological Society of...
.