In 1748 he was chofen member of the Royal Society of London. In 1749 he began, by mere chance, his amazing collection of horns and fhells, which according to the univerfal opinion of all travellers and amateurs who have visited it, is at present the most beautiful, and certainly one of the most valuable in Europe. In 1753 he became member of the newly cftablished Dutch Society of Sciences at Haerlem; and in 1757, after the celebrated M. le Cat profeffor of Anatomy and furgery, and member of almost all the principal focieties of fciences in Europe, had feen Mr Lyonet's incomparable "Traité Anatomique de la Chenille qui ronge le Bois de Saule," with the drawings belonging to it (which work was afterwards published,) he was elected member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Rome, whereof M. le Cat was perpetual fecretary. Mr Lyonet's defign in the compiling of that work was, among other things, to publish an anatomical defcription of an infect, as extenfive and complete as any existing of the human body, which had hitherto never been effected, although feveral ingenious men have attempted fomething of this kind, but have however produced nothing more than weak and even faulty effays. Of the praise and admiration expreffed of our author in many refpects (but particularly on account of the laft mentioned work) by many celebrated writers, and in almost all countries of Europe, we fhall ftate thefe extracts.

1. From the Bibliotheque des Sciences, 1760; " Mr "Lyonet has longheld a diftinguished place among the great "Naturalifts of Europe. His translation of the Theologie des "Infectes," (this is however a mistake, for Lyonet did not translate the work) "the excellent notes he has added "to it, the magnificent cabinet of thells which he has "constructed with fo much tafte and judgement, in which he "has fpared neither trouble nor expence, and which the cu"rious come to admire as one of the finest and most compleat "that can be feen,' (now much improved and increased)' have

pro

"procured him a great reputation, which the new work we "are announcing will confirm; a work which furpaffes "the high expectations that were formed of it, and which " will be fufficient of itself to immortalize the author."

2. In the Journal des Scavans, July 1760. "We earneftly exhort Mr Lyonet to publifh the Anatomy he makes us hope for, of the chryfalis and of the phalana "into which his caterpillar is transformed; and we affure "him before hand of the encouragement and acknowledge"ments of all those who admire finished works, &c."

SOME reputable and learned men have alfo written in his praife; fuch as Martinet, Van Gool, H. S. Reimarus, the Rev. J. Lulop, and P.Van Muffchenbroeck: which laft, in particular, extols Mr Lyonet's obfervations and discoveries by means of the microscope, above thofe of Leeuwenhoeck, Reaumur, Baker, Trembley, &c.-After the publication of the Traité Anatomique, Mr Lyonet became, in 1760, member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin: in 1761, of the Imperial Academy of Naturalifts; and in 1762, of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg.In order to enable fuch as might be defirous of following him in his intricate and most astonishing difcoveries, refpecting the ftructure of this animal, Mr Lyonet published, in the "Transactions of the Dutch Society of Sciences at "Haerlem," a defcription and a plate (as he alfo afterwards did in French, at the beginning of his "Traité Anatomi"que,”) of the inftruments and tools he had invented for the purpose of diffection, and likewife of the method he used to ascertain the degree of ftrength of his magnifying glaffes. Notwithstanding all this labour, which was confiderably increased by the extenfive correfpondence which he for many years carried on with several learned and respectable personages, he ftill found means to fet apart a large proportion of his time (as he himfelf mentions in his preface) for the immediate service of his country; but was not fortunate enough (as appears by his writings) to get any other recom

penfe

penfe for his exertions than forrow and difappointment.During the last fifteen or twenty years of his life, Mr Lyonet added to the valuable treasure he had already collected of natural curiofities, a moft fuperb cabinet of paintings, confifting of more than 560 performances; among which are many of the most eminent works of the first Dutch mafters. He did this with a view to procure himself fome amufement during the latter part of his life, when old age and infirmities muft weaken his powers and fet bounds to his activity. He had always indeed accustomed himself to employment; infomuch that he has written fome pieces of Dutch poetry; and this difpofition remained with him, till within a fortnight of his death, when he was attacked with an inflammation in his breast, which, though apparently cured, was, in the end, the caufe of his diffolution. He was a friend to all those who loved or exercised arts or fciences. His conduct, from his youth, was ever, and in every refpect, unimpeachable. He was from conviction a Christian, loved virtue, religion, and his country, and never feared openly to defend them. Nor was it ever in the power of man to make him diffemble; for his great and favourite maxim was, never to do any thing defignedly which might hurt either conscience, duty, or honour. Letters, arts, fciences, (and particularly natural history) true religion, and his country, were indebted to him, and fuffered a confiderable lofs by his death. Mr Lyonet bequeathed the remaining copies of his "Traité Anatomique,' together with all the plates defigned and engraved by himself, to his nephew, Mr S. E. Croyset, fecretary to the poft-offices of Holland, and who has fucceeded him in the poft of fecretary of the cyphers. He alfo left him a work, ftill in manufcript, which he had hoped to bring to light, intitled, "Euvres Melées "fur les Infectes," comprising all the remarkable researches and difcoveries which he had, during many years, made on the infects which are found in the environs of the Hague, together with their different forms, changes, &c. and to

which is added, an "Effai Anatomique fur la Chryfalide et "la Phalene de la Chenille qui ronge le Bois de Saule.' Each of these works Mr Lyonet had originally intended to accomplish upon the fame plan as the "Traité Anato"mique;" but, unfortunately, a dimnefs in his fight obliged him, at about the age of 60, to lay afide this defign. The "Effai Anatomique," was, however, already finished; and both performances, arranged fo as to form a fecond volume to the "Traité Anatomique," are in fair MS. and enriched with fifty-four plates, all defigned by himself, and of which a great number have already been engraved under his own eyes. And Mr Croyfet, who has been in the habit of thirty-fix years intimate friendship with his relation Mr Lyonet, who has daily feen him at his occupations, and of courfe is well acquainted with his methods of drawing, and who in his younger days has himfelf fuccefsfully practifed that amusement, has determined to ufe his beft endeavours to get fuch plates as are wanting executed in a masterly ftyle, and to publifh thefe two works, which will prove an important acquifition to the lovers of natural hiftory. He died at the Hague, January the 10th, 1789; in the eightythird year of his age.”

THE hiftory of the Notes to Leffer's work, is thus given, by Mr Lyonet himself, in an advertisement prefixed to the French edition.

"THE fuccefs which this book had in Germany, and the encomiums bestowed on it in the Leipfic Transactions, induced the publifher to have it tranflated into French. He requested me to revife the manufcript, and to correct thofe paffages which the tranflator's ignorance of the fubject might have occafioned. That I might not deprive the public of the advantage to be derived from a book, intended to promote the glory of God, I undertook the tafk; but I had no fooner begun than I found t: at the faults of the tranf lator were not the only ones I had to correct, but that the original

b

original itself in many places ftood in need of revifion and elucidation. Mr Leffer, though very learned in natural history, had allowed himself to believe too many things on the credit of others. The eftimation in which I hold this ftudy, which is only delightful in fo far as it is true, made me view this defect with concern in a work which, from its general excellence, might have contributed to perpetuate error; and I refolved to correct thofe paffages in which the author, mifled by authority, had been mistaken. To do this, the fimpleft and fhorteft way would have been to alter the text; but I could not allow myfelf to make an author speak contrary to his own fentiments, and therefore had recourse to Notes. But I have gone farther than I at first intended. I had no fooner begun to confider the text, than feveral facts partly known and partly new, connected with the fubject, occurred to me; and as they appeared calculated for confirming, explaining, amplifying or limiting what the author expreffes in general terms, I have detailed them, and added various reflections which I hope will not be ufelefs to thofe who mean thoroughly to investigate the fubject. I fhall perhaps receive the thanks of intelligent men for having endeavoured to produce exceptions to the most general rules; for befides that thofe fingularities, which nature fometimes prefents us with when we leaft expect them, help us to acquire a more perfect knowledge of infects, they are what in natural hiftory may be called the truly marvellous, which it is now time to fubstitute in the place of what has been falfely fo called, and which has too long prevailed on this fubject. The Reader I hope will give me credit for what I advance; and I ftand the more in need of his indulgence as I have related certain facts which I would myfelf have unwillingly believed had not pofitive experiments convinced me of their truth."

THAT this work has not till now appeared in English is owing probably to the following reafons. When it was first

pub