Most of the rare books in Professor Franclemont's collection were works of scientific research written for academics and scholars. In contrast, this is a guide for the amateur, with instructions on finding, collecting and identifying German butterflies.

By 1868, enthusiasm for natural history collections was in full swing. Men, women and children of the middle and upper classes gathered and displayed shells, bird eggs and nests, pressed plants and netted butterflies. Amateur collectors, both as individuals or as members of entomological clubs, played an important role in building the large butterfly and moth collections of the 19th century.

The illustration shown here includes a trap with a removable lid, two types of nets, a display of Lepidoptera and a housing for caterpillars.