CATESBY, Mark (1683-1749)

Anas Minor [The Buffel's Head Duck now called the Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)]

London: (1748-) 1754 [Second edition]. Hand-coloured copper engraving. Excellent condition. Sheet size: 14 x 20 inches.

A fine image from Catesby's 'The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands', "the most famous colour-plate book of American plant and animal life...a fundamental and original work for the study of American species" (Hunt)

Trained as a botanist, Catesby travelled to Virginia in 1712 and remained there for seven years, sending back to England collections of plants and seeds. With the encouragement of Sir Hans Sloane and others, Catesby returned to America in 1722 to seek materials for his Natural History; he travelled extensively in Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the Bahamas, sending back further specimens. His preface provides a lengthy account of the development of this work, including his decision to study with Joseph Goupy in order to learn to etch his plates himself to ensure accuracy and economy. A lovely and important work, embodying the most impressive record made during the colonial period of the natural history of an American colony. The most significant work of American natural history before Audubon's Birds of America. "The Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is a small American sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. They ... rival the Green-winged Teal as the smallest American duck. Adult males have a dark head with a large white cap behind the eye and a mainly white body with a black back. Adult females have a brown head with a smaller white patch behind the eye and a mainly brown body. The name Bufflehead is a combination of buffalo and head, referring to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species. They are migratory and most winter in protected coastal waters or open inland waters on the east and west coasts of North America and the southern United States. Bufflehead is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe. Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds in Alaska and Canada, almost entirely included in the boreal forest or taiga habitat. They nest in cavities in trees, often using old Flicker or Pileated Woodpecker nests, occasionally up to 425 meters (1400 feet) from water." (Wikipedia).

Cf. Anker 95; cf. Clark I:55; cf. Dunthorne 72; cf. Fine Bird Books (1990), p. 86; cf. Great Flower Books (1990), p.85; cf. Meisel III:340; cf. Nissen BBI 336, IVB 177; cf. Sabin 11509; cf. Stafleu & Cowan TL2 1057; cf. Wood p. 282; cf. Amy Meyers and Margaret Pritchard, Empire's Nature, Mark Catesby's New World Vision, Williamsburg, 1998.

Item #20206

Price: $2,250.00