Excerpt from The Moth Book: A Popular Guide, to a Knowledge of the Moths of North America
When a few years ago I published "The Butterfly Book," I stated in the preface to that volume that I would follow it by the preparation of a similar work upon the moths of the United States and Canada, provided the reception given that venture should seem to justify me in so doing. "The Butterfly Book" was very favorably received, and not only I, but my publishers, have been besieged with letters from all parts of the continent, urging the fulfillment of the provisional promise made by me in 1898. A prompt compliance with these requests has, however, unfortunately been impossible, owing to the fact that my official duties, which are numerous and exacting, prevent me from devoting any but the evening hours to the work of literary composition. In addition to the difficulties arising from this source, there were other and even greater difficulties which presented themselves. The species of moths known to occur in the United States and Canada vastly exceed in number the species of butterflies found within the same limits. While it was possible to bring together brief descriptions and numerous illustrations of the majority of the species of butterflies found in the region, it became evident at the outset that in dealing with the moths it would be necessary to resort to a different method. It became plain that a process of selection would have to be followed, if the volume were to be kept within proper limits as to size and cost. It would have been comparatively easy to have selected from the abundant material at my command a series of the more showy insects, and to have illustrated these, but as it is the purpose of the series of the books of which "The Moth Book" is one to provide in reasonably compact form manuals which will with tolerable completeness cover the whole field, the plan had to be materially altered.
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