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Cambridge University Press: Cambridge Library Collection.

This page lists bird related books, or books that include some sections on birds, in the Cambridge Library Collection.

The Cambridge Libabry Collection is a series of out-of-copyright works of "enduring scholarly value for the researcher, the student and the book-lover." The collection, which was launched in 2009, covers a wide range of subjects from Anthropology to Zoology.


Cambridge University Press pages

Bird Life Series

The Natural History Of Birds (Buffon)

Cambridge Library Collection

Other bird related books


 

The Great Auk, or Garefowl: Its History, Archaeology, and Remains

Symington Grieve

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2015

"This 1885 work by Scottish naturalist and scientist Symington Grieve (1850–1932) collects together 'a considerable amount of literature bearing upon the 'History, Archaeology, and Remains' of this extinct bird'. The material includes articles on the historic distribution of the great auk, its known habits, its various names, and information on all the surviving specimens, whether stuffed, skeletal, bones, or eggs. The book is illustrated with drawings and lithographs of auk remains, and an appendix supplies historical and contemporary documents on the auk from all over Europe."

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The Dodo and its Kindred

Or The History, Affinities, and Osteology of the Dodo, Solitaire, and Other Extinct Birds of the Islands Mauritius, Rodriguez, and Bourbon

Hugh Edwin Strickland

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2015

"Well versed in natural history, particularly geology and ornithology, Hugh Edwin Strickland (1811–53) became fascinated by the dodo and mankind's influence on its extinction. Seeking to investigate this flightless bird and other extinct species from islands in the Indian Ocean, he invited the comparative anatomist Alexander Gordon Melville (1819–1901) to help him separate myth from reality. Divided into two sections, this 1848 monograph begins with Strickland's evaluation of the evidence, including historical reports as well as paintings and sketches, many of which are reproduced. Melville then analyses the osteology of the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire, describing his findings from dissections of the few available specimens and making comparisons with similar species. A seminal work, it correctly concluded that the dodo was more closely related to pigeons than vultures, and the book also inspired others to take up the search for new fossil evidence."

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The Life and Letters of Gilbert White of Selborne

Volume 1 & 2

Editor: Rashleigh Holt-White

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2015

"Published in 1901, this illustrated two-volume biography of the renowned English naturalist Gilbert White (1720–93) presents a thorough account of his life and achievements. Prepared by White's great-great-nephew Rashleigh Holt-White (1826–1920), it incorporates a selection of White's correspondence with family and friends, providing valuable insights into his beliefs and character. Included are letters sent by White's lifelong friend John Mulso (1721–91), who praised the naturalist's work, predicting it would 'immortalise' White and his Hampshire village. Still considered a classic text, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789), featuring White's careful observations of local flora and fauna, is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. In the present work, Holt-White sought to correct the 'erroneous statements' that had previously been made about his relative."

Volume 1 covers White's life and achievements up to August 1776, including his studies at Oxford and his ordination as a priest.

Volume 2 traces White's life from September 1776, considering the impact of the loss of family members, and his legacy after his death.

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A Naturalist's Calendar

With Observations in Various Branches of Natural History

Gilbert White

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2014

"The naturalist Gilbert White (1720–93) was known for his meticulous observations of flora and fauna in their natural environment, primarily around his village of Selborne in Hampshire. This posthumous 1795 publication, edited by the physician and writer John Aikin (1747–1822), comprises a collection of extracts from White's previously unpublished papers from 1768 to his death. Presented here for 'lovers of natural knowledge' is a full year of White's observations. Following the month-by-month record of natural events, the book contains brief studies of birds, quadrupeds, insects, plants and the weather. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, White had kept a near daily record of his activities for more than forty years."

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A Manual of British Vertebrate Animals

Leonard Jenyns

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2014

"This 1835 work catalogues five classes of vertebrates: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Native, introduced and extinct species of the British Isles are included, with binomial and common names given, along with the dimensions and a description. An improvement on previous works which had overly relied on secondary sources, Jenyns's manual also provides information on location, diet and propagation. The catalogue testifies to the diligent work being carried out in natural history in the era prior to Darwin's revolution."

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Observations in Natural History:

With an Introduction on Habits of Observing, as Connected with the Study of That Science

Leonard Jenyns

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2014

"Although devoted to his parish, Leonard Jenyns (1800–93) combined his clerical duties with keen research into natural history. Notably, he was offered the place on the Beagle that later went to Charles Darwin. His numerous works include A Manual of British Vertebrate Animals (1835) and Observations in Meteorology (1858), both of which are reissued in this series. First published in 1846, the present work was originally intended as a companion volume to Gilbert White's acclaimed Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789), which Jenyns had copied out as a student at Eton. The product of two decades of meticulous observation of Jenyns' surroundings in eastern England, the text includes journal entries with careful records on a wide variety of wildlife, including quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fish, insects and molluscs. Also featuring a detailed calendar of periodic phenomena, this work illuminates the rhythms and quirks of the natural world in England."

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Arctic Zoology

Thomas Pennant

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2014

"In the 'Advertisement' to this 1784 two-volume work, Thomas Pennant (1726–98), zoologist and traveller, explains that his original intention was to record the zoology of North America 'when the empire of Great Britain was entire'. After the War of Independence, he changed his focus to the zoology (and people, archaeology and geology) of the Arctic regions of America, Europe and Siberia. The content of the volumes, one of the earliest works of systematic zoology published in Britain, is based on the writings of earlier zoologists, information obtained by Pennant from his scientific correspondents all over Europe and America, and his studies in private museums and collections. It is embellished with engravings of animals, birds, landscapes and artefacts. Volume 2 deals with land and water birds, including some, such as the passenger pigeon, which are now extinct."

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Genera Of Birds

Thomas Pennant

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2013

"The naturalist and traveller Thomas Pennant (1726–98) helped popularise British ornithology by meticulously compiling and arranging existing research. At the age of twelve, Pennant had been given Francis Willughby's Ornithology (1678), to which he credited his lifelong love of natural history. His own writings on ornithology are heavily based on the classification system devised by Willughby and John Ray, which divides birds primarily into land birds and waterfowl. Although Pennant's brief, accessible book brought few original insights to the field, it boosted public interest in the study and classification of birds. The detailed descriptions of the appearance and habits of each bird are enlivened by the author's elegant turns of phrase. This better-known 1781 version of the 1773 original includes fifteen fine engravings."

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The Naturalist in Australia

William Saville-Kent

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2014

"Educated at King's College, London, the naturalist and marine biologist William Saville-Kent (1845–1908) went on to work at the British Museum and in aquariums at Brighton, Manchester and Westminster. He spent many years in Australia as a fisheries expert, and during this time he made extensive surveys of the natural world. The present work, first published in 1897, was intended to give a non-scientific audience a glimpse of the fantastic array of wildlife in Australia. The author discusses the many varieties of birds, lizards, fish and other sea life, insects (an entire chapter is devoted to termites), and vegetation. He was also able to take advantage of the photographic technology of the time and include around fifty collotype images, which complement the many other illustrations of the plants and animals he writes about, providing a vivid overview of the natural world in late nineteenth-century Australia."

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Studies in Bird Migration

William Eagle Clarke

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2013

Published in two volumes

"Having trained as a civil engineer and surveyor, the ornithologist William Eagle Clarke (1853–1938) established himself in his field by preparing reports on bird migration for the British Association. Focusing on the species passing through the British Isles, Clarke spent many months in various lighthouses and on remote islands. He brought all his research together in this two-volume work, first published in 1912 and illustrated with maps, weather charts and photographs of key research locations.

In Volume 1, Clarke notes which species arrive in the British Isles during each season. A map shows the routes they take. He also explains how weather conditions affect avian journeys, using charts to indicate temperature changes across Europe and wind conditions over Britain. The annual movements of swallows, skylarks, rooks and other species are then discussed individually. The volume closes with Clarke's account of the month he spent at the Eddystone Lighthouse.

In Volume 2, Clarke describes key examples of his investigations. Photographs of the sites he visited accompany the text. The locations range from the Flannan Isles, in the Outer Hebrides, to the island of Ushant, off the coast of Brittany. Clarke's expedition to the latter location ended abruptly when he and his colleague were mistaken for spies and forced to leave. Extensive coverage is also given to Fair Isle, between Shetland and Orkney"

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History Of British Birds, Volume 1: Containing the History and Description of Land Birds

Thomas Bewick

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2013

"The present work, History of British Birds, with its text compiled from various sources, was the first practical field guide for the amateur ornithologist, inspiring also artists and writers. Each of the two volumes contains hundreds of illustrations of breathtaking beauty and precision: one for each species, neatly capturing its character in exquisite detail, interspersed with charming vignettes of country life. Volume 1, first published in 1797, covers land birds, including eagles, owls, sparrows and finches."

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History Of British Birds, Volume 2: Containing the History and Description of Water Birds

Thomas Bewick

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2013

"The present work, History of British Birds, with its text compiled from various sources, was the first practical field guide for the amateur ornithologist, inspiring also artists and writers. Each of the two volumes contains hundreds of illustrations of breathtaking beauty and precision: one for each species, neatly capturing its character in exquisite detail, interspersed with charming vignettes of country life. Volume 2, first published in 1804, covers water birds, including sandpipers, terns, grebes and guillemots."

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Tropical Nature and Other Essays

Alfred Russel Wallace

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2013

"Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) was a naturalist, evolutionary theorist, and friend of Charles Darwin. In this study of tropical flora and fauna, he takes the reader on a tour of the equatorial forest belt – the almost continuous band of forest that stretches around the world between the tropics. There, chameleon-like caterpillars alter the colours of their cocoons, parasitical trees override their hosts with spectacular aerial root systems, and some of the most pressing questions of Victorian evolutionary science arise: how do animals and plants come to be brightly coloured? Can their adaptations provide clues about past geological eras? And was Darwin wholly correct in his theory of sexual selection? First published in 1878, Wallace's book is a skilfully written reflection of contemporary naturalism, still highly readable and relevant to students in the history of science."

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Bird Life and Bird Lore

Reginald Bosworth Smith

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2013

"Reginald Bosworth Smith "retired to a country house in Dorset and in 1905 published Bird Life and Bird Lore, based on a series of articles written in his retirement. Recording his own observations, some of many years before, and peppered with scholarly references to birds in literature, the essays cover individual birds such as the owl, the raven and the magpie, as well as bird-watching in Dorset and beyond. Imparting a love and respect for wildlife that remains inspiring, Bird Life and Bird Lore will be of great interest to the bird-lover and scholar of today."

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Island Life: Or, The Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras, Including a Revision and Attempted Solution of the Problem of Geological Climates

Alfred Russel Wallace

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2012

"First published in 1880, this study of the biology and geography of islands investigates some of the most pressing questions of nineteenth-century natural science. Why do countries as far-flung as Britain and Japan share similar flora and fauna when those of neighbouring islands in Malaysia are utterly unalike? What is the origin of life in New Zealand? And why do the geological formations of Scotland and Wales appear to be the result of glaciers when those countries lie in the temperate zone? Dismissing popular theories of submerged continents and 'special creation', Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) presents extensive evidence of the mass migration of species, and of drastic and repeated climatic changes across the globe. Drawing on a vast range of sources and the newest ocean soundings to support his theories, Wallace wrote the text for the intelligent general reader. It remains a fascinating introduction to the subject matter today."

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Fauna Boreali-Americana; or, The Zoology of the Northern Parts of British America: Volume 2: The Birds

Containing Descriptions of the Objects of Natural History Collected on the Late Northern Land Expeditions under Command of Captain Sir John Franklin, R.N.

John Richardson assisted by William Swainson and William Kirby

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2012

"Sir John Richardson (1787–1865), surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer, went on Sir John Franklin's first two Arctic expeditions as ship's doctor and naturalist, and made observations and collected a large number of plant and animal specimens from the Canadian Arctic. On his return to England after the second expedition he began to write this four-volume work of natural history, first published between 1829 and 1837. A volume is dedicated to each of the classes of mammal, bird, fish and insect, which are found in the Canadian Arctic. This work is an interesting example of pre-Darwinian natural history, full of detailed descriptions of the appearance, anatomy and behaviour of the different species. Volume 2 was first published in 1831 and focuses on the species of birds found in the Canadian Arctic. It was co-authored with naturalist and illustrator William Swainson (1789–1855) and contains many illustrations."

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Notes on the Natural History of the Strait of Magellan and West Coast of Patagonia

Made during the Voyage of HMS Nassau in the Years 1866-69

Robert O. Cunningham

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2012

"The Scottish naturalist Robert O. Cunningham (1841–1918) began his 1866 voyage to South America in inclement weather, and, by the eleventh day of travel, noted a 'pond' forming in his tiny cabin aboard HMS Nassau. With never-failing humour, Cunningham presents here a record of the zoological, botanical and geological observations made across the three years he spent at sea. As the ship's naturalist (recommended for the post by J. D. Hooker), his time was given wholly to research and exploration, and his findings are both fascinating and thorough. Included are his anecdotal records of seamen's slang, research into the history of the changing landscapes he visited, which had been previously documented by travellers as diverse as Drake and Darwin, statistical data on various species of animals and plants, and twenty-two original images. First published in 1871, this is an absorbing testament of the breadth of the explorer-naturalist's interests."

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The Animal Kingdom, Volume 6: The Class Aves 1

Georges Cuvier

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2012

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The Animal Kingdom, Volume 7: The Class Aves 2

Georges Cuvier

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2012

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The Animal Kingdom, Volume 8: The Class Aves 3

Georges Cuvier

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2012

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The Animals of New Zealand: An Account of the Dominion's Air-Breathing Vertebrates

Frederick Wollaston Hutton and James Drummond

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2011

"Frederick Wollaston Hutton (1836-1905) was a geologist and a supporter of Darwinian theory. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1866, became Professor of Biology at Canterbury College, and won awards both in Britain and Australasia for his work on the natural history of New Zealand. He published scientific papers on biology and zoology as well as geology and, with James Drummond, wrote two popular works, "Nature in New Zealand" (1902) and "The Animals of New Zealand" (1904). The latter was extremely successful. It was revised and expanded the following year, and this fourth edition was published in 1923. The book focuses on native vertebrates, so the bulk of the content relates to birds, of which Hutton had published a catalogue in 1871. It also describes marine mammals, reptiles, and bats, and gives brief coverage to introduced species. There are 154 illustrations, and indexes of Maori, English and scientific names."

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The Birds of Siberia: A Record of a Naturalist's Visits to the Valleys of the Petchora and Yenesei

Henry Seebohm

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2011

"This volume, published in 1901, contains two books recounting his [Seebohm] travels in Siberia. Siberia in Europe (1880) was the result of an expedition to the lower Pechora River valley in 1875 with zoologist J. A. Harvie-Brown, and also his study of bird migrations in Heligoland with ornithologist Heinrich Gätke. He located the breeding grounds of several visitors to Britain, including the grey plover and Bewick's swan. Siberia in Asia (1882) was published after his 1877 journey with Arctic explorer Joseph Wiggins along the Yenisey River. There are numerous woodcuts illustrating birds and Siberian landscapes."

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Wanderings in South America, the North-West of the United States, and the Antilles: With Original Instructions for the Perfect Preservation of Birds

Charles Waterton

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2011

"Although in the original preface to this work the British naturalist Charles Waterton (1782–1865) modestly says his book has 'little merit', his account is a rich description of his experiences in South America and the Caribbean. Waterton managed his family's sugar plantations in Demerara from 1804 to 1812, studied natural history, and later (1812–25) divided his time between the Americas and Europe. This book, originally published in 1825 and reissued here in its 1828 second edition, describes his four expeditions, beginning with his search deep in the rainforest for samples of the rare poison, curare. Waterton also recounts a fierce battle with the Maroons, but his main focus is zoology, including the capture of 'an enormous Coulacara snake', encounters with sloths, monkeys and vampire bats, and close observations of a huge variety of birds. The final chapter describes Waterton's methods of preserving birds for cabinets of natural history."

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A History of British Fossil Mammals, and Birds

Richard Owen

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2011

"Richard Owen (1804–92) was a controversial and influential palaeontologist and anatomist. During his medical studies in Edinburgh and London, he grew interested in anatomical research and, after qualifying as a surgeon, became assistant conservator in the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and then superintendent of natural history in the British Museum. He became an authority on comparative anatomy and palaeontology, coining the term 'dinosaur' and founding the Natural History Museum. He was also a critic of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, and engaged in a long and bitter argument with Thomas Huxley, known as 'Darwin's bulldog' for his belligerent support of the theory. Published in 1846, this is Owen's comparative anatomical analysis of the fossils of British birds and mammals. It compares living species with extinct ones, and explains the characteristics that help identification, using 237 woodcut illustrations to show the traits of different species."

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Memoirs of Hugh Edwin Strickland, M.A.

Editor: William Jardine

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2011

"Published in 1858, this memoir recounts the life and work of the natural historian and geologist Hugh Edwin Strickland (1811–53). Written by his father-in-law, the Scottish naturalist Sir William Jardine (1800–74), the book covers Strickland's early childhood, his education at Oxford, his involvement in and influence upon the establishment of the Ray Society and his notable academic pursuits in natural history before his life was tragically cut short by a freak railway accident in 1853, when he was just forty-two. The reader will gain an insight into Strickland's character, his scientific acquaintances, including Henslow and Darwin, and his wide-ranging interests in the area of natural history, including geology, zoology, palaeontology and especially ornithology, demonstrated by his study The Dodo and its Kindred (1848). Drawing upon revealing and informative extracts from Strickland's journals throughout, the book also contains a wide selection of Strickland's shorter scientific writings."

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The Malay Archipelago: The Land of the Orang-Utan, and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of Travel, with Studies of Man and Nature: Volume 1

Alfred Russel Wallace

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2010

"Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) was a British naturalist best remembered as the co-discoverer, with Darwin, of natural selection. His extensive fieldwork and advocacy of the theory of evolution led to him being considered one of the nineteenth century's foremost biologists. These volumes, first published in 1869, contain Wallace's acclaimed and highly influential account of extensive fieldwork he undertook in modern Indonesia, Malaysia and New Guinea between 1854 and 1862. Wallace describes his travels around the island groups, depicting the unusual animals and insects he encountered and providing ethnographic descriptions of the indigenous peoples. Wallace's analysis of biogeographic patterns in Indonesia (later termed the Wallace Line) profoundly influenced contemporary and later evolutionary and geological thought concerning both Indonesia and other areas of the world where similar patterns were found."

Volume 1 covers the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia.

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The Malay Archipelago: The Land of the Orang-Utan, and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of Travel, with Studies of Man and Nature: Volume 2

Alfred Russel Wallace

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2010

"Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) was a British naturalist best remembered as the co-discoverer, with Darwin, of natural selection. His extensive fieldwork and advocacy of the theory of evolution led to him being considered one of the nineteenth century's foremost biologists. These volumes, first published in 1869, contain Wallace's acclaimed and highly influential account of extensive fieldwork he undertook in modern Indonesia, Malaysia and New Guinea between 1854 and 1862. Wallace describes his travels around the island groups, depicting the unusual animals and insects he encountered and providing ethnographic descriptions of the indigenous peoples. Wallace's analysis of biogeographic patterns in Indonesia (later termed the Wallace Line) profoundly influenced contemporary and later evolutionary and geological thought concerning both Indonesia and other areas of the world where similar patterns were found."

Volume 1 covers the Molucca Islands and New Guinea.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 1

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

"The ground-breaking Histoire Naturelle was published in forty-four volumes between 1749 and 1804. These volumes, first published between 1770 and 1783 and translated into English in 1793, contain Buffon's survey and descriptions of birds from the Histoire Naturelle. Based on recorded observations of birds both in France and in other countries, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of various bird species, their habitats and behaviours and were the first publications to present a comprehensive account of eighteenth-century ornithology."

This volume covers birds of prey and flightless birds.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 2

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers wild and domestic fowl and pigeons.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 3

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers corvids, thrushes and some tropical birds.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 4

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers foreign and domestic finches and flycatchers.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 5

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers larks, wagtails and fig-eaters.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 6

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers parrots, parakeets and other foreign birds.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 7

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers woodpeckers and kingfishers.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 8

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers domestic and foreign marine birds.

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 9

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers water fowl and related birds.

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The Philosophy of Zoology: Or a General View of the Structure, Functions, and Classification of

John Fleming

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2010

Published in two volumes

"John Fleming (1785–1857) was a minister of the Church of Scotland, but in his time at the University of Edinburgh he had also studied geology and zoology. In the tradition of the country parson who was also a talented and knowledgeable naturalist, he published his first works on the geology of the Shetland Islands while serving there as a minister. His subsequent works led to his being offered the chair of natural philosophy at the University of Aberdeen, and subsequently at the newly created chair of natural history at the Free Church College in Edinburgh. This two-volume Philosophy of Zoology was originally published in 1822, and the young Charles Darwin is recorded as borrowing it from the library of Edinburgh University in 1825/6. His intention in the book was to 'collect the truths of Zoology within a small compass, and to render them more intelligible, by a systematical arrangement'."

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A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural History

William Swainson

Cambridge Library Collection

Cambridge University Press

2009

"William Swainson F. R. S., was recognised principally as a zoologist, an ornithologist and a skilled and prolific illustrator. He also had a tremendous enthusiasm for seeking and identifying new species. In this 1834 volume however, Swainson addressed the nature of, foundations for and successful pursuit of zoology. It argues firmly for the key importance of taxonomy. Swainson was an ardent advocate of MacLeay's now entirely outmoded 'quinary' system of classification – even then a distinctly minority view. This sought affinities, patterns and analogies among organisms, in order to discern God's order. More than a mere curiosity, such work was of pivotal concern to enterprising naturalists of the 1820s and 1830s – including the young Charles Darwin. It also reached Robert Chambers, whose 1844 Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was an important landmark in the development of the theory of evolution."

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Last updated January 2017