Sharpe & Gould 1881 Birds of Paradise Series by John Gould Seleucides Nigricans

Description: This stunning folio lithograph is fromMonograph of the Paradiseidae, or Birds of Paradise and Ptilonorhynchidae, and Bower-Birdsby Richard Bowdler Sharpe. The work was published in London by Taylor & Francis for Henry Sotheran & Co between 1891 and 1898. TheBirds of Paradisewas the idea of John Gould's but completed after his death by Sharpe. The plates were predominantly drawn by William Matthew Hart, John Gould, and John Gerard Keulemans. It was the first monograph devoted to the remarkable birds of paradise and the "last of the fine bird books" (Fine Bird Books p.107) The remarkable-looking Birds of Paradise have captivated western science since Magellan first brought back a skin of such a creature in 1522. The skins, highly prized by East Indian natives, was given by the ruler of Batchian (in the Mollucas) as a gift to the King of Spain. The legs and wings of the bird, however, had been removed when skinned, presumably to better show its impressive plumage. When asked why the bird had no wings or feet, the natives replied that none were needed as the bird simply floated in its heavenly paradise. Thus, the earliest descriptions of the species, and indeed even its scientific naming by Linnaeus in the 18th century as Paradisaea apoda (legless bird of paradise), perpetuated that myth. Due to the remote nature of their rain forest habitat in New Guinea, it was not until the mid-19th century that these remarkable birds were first scientifically observed and accurately described.

Price: 299 USD

Location: Upper Marlboro, Maryland

End Time: 2024-09-09T17:05:32.000Z

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