26. Jurine, Louis (1751-1819).
Histoire des monocles, qui se trouvent aux environs de Genčve. Geneva: J.J. Paschoud...; Paris: Męme maison e Commerce, 1820.
Copepods are aquatic crustaceans that make up a large portion of what we now call plankton. Some are parasitic, but most are free-swimming, and are notable for their single eye. Linnaeus included just one species in his System of Nature, which he called Monoculus quadricornis, the “four-horned one-eyed” bug, grouping it with the wingless insects. There are in fact thousands of species of copepods, and they now occupy a subclass of their own. Louis Jurine was one of the first to investigate the diverse world of copepods, and he wrote an entire monograph on the species that he found in the vicinity of his home in Geneva. These swift-moving crustaceans are very difficult to observe, and even more so to draw, and Jurine was blessed by having a daughter with artistic ability who was willing to illustrate his discoveries. Every plate is signed “Mlle Jurine pinxit”—painted by Miss Jurine.
