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• Themes in Wilson's life and writings
• A varied life
• Illustrating American ornithology
• Pioneer ornithologist
• Wilson's legacy
• Appendix A. On the shoulders of giants : Wilson's predecessors
• Appendix B. Wilson's contemporaries and correspondents.

Audubon was not the father of American ornithology. That honorific belongs to Alexander Wilson, whose encyclopedic American Ornithology established a distinctive approach that emphasized the observation of live birds. In the first full-length study to reproduce all of Wilson's unpublished drawings for the nine-volume Ornithology, Edward Burtt and William Davis illustrate Wilson's pioneering and, today, underappreciated achievement as the first ornithologist to describe the birds of the North American wilderness. Abandoning early ambitions to become a poet in the mold of his countryman Robert Burns, Wilson emigrated from Scotland to settle near Philadelphia, where the botanist William Bartram encouraged his proclivity for art and natural history. Wilson traveled 12,000 miles on foot, on horseback, in a rowboat, and by stage and ship, establishing a network of observers along the way. He wrote hundreds of accounts of indigenous birds, discovered many new species, and sketched the behavior and ecology of each species he encountered. Drawing on their expertise in both science and art, Burtt and Davis show how Wilson defied eighteenth-century conventions of biological illustration by striving for realistic depiction of birds in their native habitats. He drew them in poses meant to facilitate identification, making his work the model for modern field guides and an inspiration for Audubon, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and other naturalists who followed. On the bicentennial of his death, this beautifully illustrated volume is a fitting tribute to Alexander Wilson and his unique contributions to ornithology, ecology, and the study of animal behavior.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Themes in Wilson's life and writings
• A varied life
• Illustrating American ornithology
• Pioneer ornithologist
• Wilson's legacy
• Appendix A. On the shoulders of giants : Wilson's predecessors
• Appendix B. Wilson's contemporaries and correspondents.

Audubon was not the father of American ornithology. That honorific belongs to Alexander Wilson, whose encyclopedic American Ornithology established a distinctive approach that emphasized the observation of live birds. In the first full-length study to reproduce all of Wilson's unpublished drawings for the nine-volume Ornithology, Edward Burtt and William Davis illustrate Wilson's pioneering and, today, underappreciated achievement as the first ornithologist to describe the birds of the North American wilderness. Abandoning early ambitions to become a poet in the mold of his countryman Robert Burns, Wilson emigrated from Scotland to settle near Philadelphia, where the botanist William Bartram encouraged his proclivity for art and natural history. Wilson traveled 12,000 miles on foot, on horseback, in a rowboat, and by stage and ship, establishing a network of observers along the way. He wrote hundreds of accounts of indigenous birds, discovered many new species, and sketched the behavior and ecology of each species he encountered. Drawing on their expertise in both science and art, Burtt and Davis show how Wilson defied eighteenth-century conventions of biological illustration by striving for realistic depiction of birds in their native habitats. He drew them in poses meant to facilitate identification, making his work the model for modern field guides and an inspiration for Audubon, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and other naturalists who followed. On the bicentennial of his death, this beautifully illustrated volume is a fitting tribute to Alexander Wilson and his unique contributions to ornithology, ecology, and the study of animal behavior.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
On the bicentennial of his death, this beautifully illustrated volume pays tribute to the Scot who became the father of American ornithology. Alexander Wilson made unique contributions to ecology and animal behavior. His drawings of birds in realistic poses in their natural habitat inspired Audubon, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and other naturalists.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Americas Other Audubon chronicles the story of Genevieve Jones, her family, and the making of an extraordinary nineteenth century book, Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio. At the age of twenty-nine, Genevieve Jones, an amateur naturalist/artist and daughter of a country doctor, visited the 1876 Centennial World's Fair in Philadelphia, where she saw Audubon's paintings in Birds of America on display. His artwork inspired her to undertake the production of a book illustrating the bird's nests and eggs that Audubon neglected to include in his work. Her parents were reluctant to support the undertaking of such an ambitious and expensive project until Genevieve became despondent over a broken engagement. Concerned over her fragile mental state, they encouraged her to begin the book as a distraction. Her brother collected the nests and eggs, her father paid for the publishing costs, and Genevieve and her girlhood friend learned lithography and began illustrating the specimens. The book was sold by subscription in twenty-three parts. Then, suddenly, Genevieve died of typhoid fever after personally completing only five of the illustrations. Her family took up the completion of the work in her memory. Only 90 copies of the book were produced and fewer than 20 have been located today in libraries or in private collections.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

John James Audubon was one of the world's greatest painters of wildlife. He is best known for "The Birds of America", a gigantic 4 volume set of 435 paintings that to this day remains one of the largest books ever produced, the most expensive book ever sold at auction and an artistic achievement almost without parallel. In the last 2 centuries, dozens of books have been produced, either stressing Audubon's work as pure art or documenting the animals that were painted. The present volume is unique in emphasizing the plants that Audubon frequently illustrated along with his animals. Full colour reproductions are shown of more than 100 of Audubon's best paintings, chosen for their excellent portrayal of plants. Each magnificent full page plate is accompanied by information on the animals (mostly birds), the painting and (most particularly) the plants. There is an introductory, extensively illustrated chapter that details Audubon's life and career - a fascinating story of heroic achievements in the face of great obstacles. The second chapter deals with Audubon's conservation legacy, a topic of considerable importance to the world's ongoing crises related to loss of biodiversity, degradation of the environment and global warming.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Preface / Louise Mirrer
• Foreword / Roberta J.M. Olson
• A biograhical sketch of an American icon / Roberta J.M. Olson
• Audubon's innovations and the traditions of ornithological illustration : some things old, some things borrowed, but most things new / Roberta J.M. Olson
• Drawing birds : Audubon's artistic practices / Marjorie Shelley
• Highlights from the watercolors for The birds of America / Roberta J.M. Olson
• The rest of the flock
• Listing of Audubon's bird watercolors in the New-York Historical Society / compiled by Alexandra Mazzitelli.

A national treasure is celebrated in this landmark publication. The Birds of America is a monumental classic, but it has never been explored like this before. This important new volume presents all the dazzling watercolors that Audubon painted for these monumental engravings. We are familiar with the prints engraved by Robert Havell Jr., but Audubon's Aviary illuminates the original masterpieces that were created by Audubon himself and tells the story behind their creation with fresh insights and engaging quotes from his writings. These powerful paintings--all newly photographed using state-of-the-art techniques--possess a startling immediacy, vibrancy, and fluidity that link natural history, art, and a respect for the environment. These watercolors transmit Audubon's devotion to his craft with their inscriptions and layers of media wrought with a miniaturist's attention to detail and their revolutionary compositions, which for the first time in history depicted all the birds life-size. Audubon is considered America's first great watercolorist, introducing innovative approaches developed over a lifetime of study. Even judged alongside today's technology, his dramatic tableaux remain some of the most spectacular natural history documents and visually arresting works of art ever produced. .
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Biography of Arjan Singh, 1917-2010, Indian hunter turned avid conservationist and author.

"Attributed to 18th-century Italian naturalist Antonio Land, who worked for Mato Grosso Governor Luiz de Albuquerque, these 116 drawings of Brazilian fauna (78) and flora (38) survived a devastating fire at the House of Insua in Portugal; many other drawings were destroyed. The specimens illustrate the 'Philosophical Expedition' of 1765-70, which mainly explored Mato Grosso and Pará (Amazonia), detailing one of the most fascinating evolutionary histories of plant life on earth. This now rare book includes scientific and historical explanatory texts, first-rate iconography, and color reproductions of the highest quality"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58. http://www.loc.gov/hlas/

• Introduction: "Fishes of the rainbow"
• Henry Compton
• Life on the reef
• Building blocks of a coral reef
• Formation of a reef community
• Types of reefs
• Zonation of reefs
• Biology of reef fishes
• Light and color
• The art of Hank Compton / by Mark Anderson
• Taxonomic classifications
• Fishes of the rainbow
• Appendix: Digitizing the artwork / by Larry J. Hyde.

In warm, shallow waters around the world, coral reefs teem with tens of thousands of marine species. Reefs rival rain forests in biodiversity, and about a third of the world's marine fish species live part of their lives on coral reefs. In the 1960s, marine biologist Henry ""Hank"" Compton (1928-2005) of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Rockport Marine Lab participated in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean research cruises on which some of these fishes were collected. A talented artist, Compton painted watercolors based on photographs of collected specimens. Along with taxonomic descriptions, Compton wrote imaginative narratives to accompany the paintings, humorous and quirky stories of the fishes in their light-filled, busy, colorful coral worlds. Fishes of the Rainbow introduces art lovers and tropical fish enthusiasts to Compton's world. Marine biologist David McKee provides context for Compton's work as well as an informative overview of the science of coral reef ecosystems. Artist and art historian Mark Anderson explains Compton's unique technique. This beautifully illustrated, informative, and whimsical book will appeal to aquarium buffs, art aficionados, scuba divers, and marine conservationists. Around the world, warming ocean waters and increased ocean acidification threaten coral reefs. This book offers readers a glimpse into this vibrant ecosystem and the wildlife we stand to lose.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• The Irish naturalist Gerald E.H. Barrett-Hamilton : his life and contributions to science
• Descriptions of mammals from Barrett-Hamilton's A history of British mammals, paired with drawings and paintings by Edward Adrian Wilson
• Edward Adrian Wilson : his outstanding career as a naturalist and artist
• The naturalists and the advances of science
• Appendix 1. Barrett-Hamilton's South Georgia journal
• Appendix 2. Letters from South Georgia by Barrett-Hamilton.

"This book is about a lifetime spent observing and photographing birds in Africa and internationally. ... The account is enhanced by a wide selection of ... [the author's] photographs."--Back cover.