GOULD, John (1804-1881)

[Chesnut-tailed Lobed Pheasant] Lobiophasis castaneicaudatus

[London: by the Author, 1850-1883]. Hand-coloured lithograph by John Gould and W.Hart, printed by Walter. Sheet size: 14 3/4 x 21 1/2 inches.

A fine image from John Gould's magnificent folio work 'The Birds of Asia'.

Gould writes 'We are indebted for ...[the discovery of the present species] to His Excellency Mr. H.T.Ussher, one of our most enlightened colonial governors; and scientific men have not been disappointed in their hope that he would continue in Borneo the excellent work which he had done in Western Africa. The present species was sent from the Lawas river, situated in north-western Borneo, opposite Labuan.' The intended geographical range of "The Birds of Asia" was enourmous, and very much in keeping with the seemingly limitless self-belief of the 19th-century's best known ornithologist. In his all-encompasing work John Gould includes species from all corners of the eastern world, as Richrad Bowdler Sharpe noted the work covers "Species from Palestine to the eastward, and from the Moluccas to the west". Gould chose to record the bird life from an area which, with the exception of the tropical areas of the American continent, includes the widest, and most colourful variety of bird life to be found anywhere in the world. The present plate is from a large number of images documenting the pheasants of the region, one of the most beautiful and varied of all bird families.

Cf. Anker 178; cf. Fine Bird Books (1990), p.102; cf. Nissen IVB 368; cf. Sauer 17; cf. Wood p. 365; cf. Zimmer p.258.

Item #5571

Price: $2,500.00