Stephens, James Francis (1792-1853).
Illustrations of British Entomology. London: Printed for the author; Published by Baldwin and Cradock, 1828-35, 1846.
When Darwin was at Cambridge University, from 1828-1831, one of his great passions was collecting beetles. As he tells us in his autobiography, he didn’t know much about entomology, but he managed to identify most of his discoveries. While Darwin was collecting, a real entomologist, James Francis Stephens, was beginning to publish what would turn out to be a seven-volume work on the insects of Great Britain. And Stephens began in 1828 with beetles. Darwin apparently heard of the enterprise, for he began sending Stephens notices of his discoveries, and perhaps actual specimens. Whatever actually occurred, in the second volume, Darwin’s name started showing up, in footnotes in the appendix, in such phrases as “Colembettes exoletus. ‘Abundantly near Cambridge.’ C. Darwin, Esq.” This was Darwin’s first appearance in print in a scientific publication, and it gave him a great sense of pride.