Paris, E. Deyrolle [published edition], 1871-[shortly before] 1879. 4to (22.1 x 14.6 cm). [179] pp., followed by ca. 100 blanks. Original green half sheep over marbled boards. Printed label on front board. [AND] 12 pages of manuscript text pertaining to this work and in particular the preface. In a contemporary envelope [AND]. A signed letter (draft?) 92 pp. (folded), by the author on paper with his blind-stamp, directed to one of his correspondents.

This is the original manuscript of a very seldom-seen catalogue, written by the French entomologist, writer, artist and son of the famous writer George Sand, Jean-François-Maurice-Arnauld Dudevant, known as Baron Dudevant and better known by his pseudonym Maurice Sand (1823-1889). Sand started collecting butterflies in 1852 and started writing this catalogue in 1871. Apparently, it was completed in or just before 1879. Sand arranged the list following the numbering used by O. Staudinger and M. Wocke, in their 1871 catalogue, Catalog der Lepidopteren des Europäischen Faunengebietes. Catalogue ou enumération méthodique des Lépidopterès qui habitent le territoire de la faune européenne. I. Macrolepidoptera. II. Microlepidoptera. He recorded the localities and rarity of each species identified, and added the months in which caterpillars and adults were observed, as well as the presence of varieties and aberrant specimens. The region covered is in Central France, which is quite diverse in landscape and climate, reflected in a high number of moth species. Sand observed that 80 per cent of all European butterflies occurred in France, and, in turn, the area covered by his work contained 80 per cent of all French butterflies. This manuscript gives an insight of how the printed edition became final. Many text corrections are included, and, for instance, we see that species 2532 was first listed, but subsequently erased, perhaps because of a wrong determination. A few appear only in pencil, and were subsequently left out. Even the title seems to have undergone a late change, being pasted over a previous version. Included are two additional manuscript parts. One (of four loose leaves) heavily edited by Sand, dealing with the geology and climate of the area covered, and not included in the published work. The other (8 pp.), similar, with many modifications and corrections by Sand, being the draft of the preface of the published work. This manuscript shows even more how carefully Sand arranged his facts and crafted his prose. Also added, a draft of a letter or paper by Sand in reply to information provided by a Docteur Vallentini in the town of Angoulême, dealing with some butterflies. Spine felted, otherwise very good; the handwriting well-readable. Horn-Schenkling II(4), p. 13 [published edition].