The collection formed by Drury was exceedingly choice, and had occupied nearly thirty years in its formation; for although, as Drury himself says (in one of the printed circulars which he distributed with a view to its sale) "there may be in Holland collections more numerous, having in many instances a great number of a single species, yet no collection abounds with such a wonderful variety in all the different genera as this. All the specimens of which it is composed, are in the highest and most exquisite state of preservation, such an extensive collection can be supposed to be, and a very considerable number are _unique_, such as are not to be found in any other Cabinet whatever, and of considerable value; many of which, coming from countries exceedingly unhealthy, where the collectors, in procuring them, have perished by the severity of the climate, give but little room to expect any duplicate will ever be obtained during the present age; and the learned quotations that have been taken from it by those celebrated authors Linnæus and Fabricius, in all their late editions, are incontestable proofs of the high degrees of estimation they entertained of it." This statement was made in 1788, when the author had consumed upwards of twenty-five years in its formation, and at which period no less a sum than £4,000. had been expended upon the collection. At this period the collection consisted of-- Subjects. Different Species. Coleoptera 2218 2136 Hemiptera 895 778 Lepidoptera 2462 2148 Neuroptera 172 171 Hymenoptera 533 533 Diptera 552 402 Aptera 105 96 English Collection 2641 2070 ---- ---- 9578 8370 Subsequently great additions were made to the collection, which, as will be seen from the localities affixed to the species figured in these Illustrations was received from all parts of the world with which England at that period had intercourse. Of the earnest zeal with which this collection was made, an idea may be obtained from a copy of a letter addressed to a gentleman residing in Africa, with whom he was anxious to enter into correspondence. _London, Dec. 13th_, 1766. SIR,