This rare work was originally published in 1805 when recently-colonized southeast Australia functioned largely as a penal colony for the British government. Lewin writes in the preface:

The contents of this little Volume of Lepidopterous Insects, indigenous of New South Wales, were there collected, painted, and engraved by the Author; and sent to London by him for publication, to furnish him with the means of returning to England, his native country, after an absence of nearly eight years, which he has spent almost solely in the pursuit of natural history…

In each illustration, Lewin takes pains to depict the larva, pupa, adult and habitat of each species.