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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

🦋 An epitome of the natural history of the insects of China: London: Printed for the author, by T. Bensley, and sold by White, Fleet-Street, Faulder, Bond-Street, Bell, Oxford-Street, &c., 1798.

[Source]

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NHM Library and Archives @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social · 2d

A peek on the returns shelf to see some of the items Museum staff have been returning recently... 🔎📚

#NaturalHistoryMuseum #Shelfie #ModernCollections #BookSky #Palaeontology #Invertebrates #NorthAtlantic #Flora #India #Fossils #Fishes

Seven books displayed on a table in a library.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

💐 Leaves from the book of nature, Edinburgh: W.H. Lizars;[184-?]

[Source]

Illustration titled "Leaves from the Book of Nature" showing various species of British butterflies arranged in clusters, each group perched on delicately sketched garden plants. Butterflies display diverse wing patterns and colors, including orange, brown, black, white, blue, and red hues. The detailed artwork combines hand-colored butterflies with fine line drawings of botanical elements, capturing the natural garden habitat. The page includes text identifying the butterflies and publisher information at the bottom. This vintage print highlights the beauty and variety of butterflies commonly found in British gardens.

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Dr Jill Whitelock @jillwhitelock.bsky.social · 1d

Excited to find drawings of moths by FW Frohawk (1861-1946) in the archive of biologist William Bateson @theul.bsky.social.

They’re catalogued as ‘27 drawings of Milan Leps’, but think this should be ‘Melan[istic] Leps’? Do they look right for showing melanism, #TeamMoth? MS Add. 8634/J.3 #EntHist

Montage showing coloured illustrations of moths and the envelope in which they’re kept. There is blue handwriting on the envelope, which might read: ‘Frohawk’s drawings [o]f Melan[istic] Leps’.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🥚 The birds of the British Isles and their eggs.
London ;F. Warne, 1920.

[Source]

Historical illustration from 1920 titled "The birds of the British Isles and their eggs," featuring two species. The top depicts two Razorbills with dark brown upperparts and white underparts, resting among grass and cotton-like flowers. The bottom shows a Richardson's Skua standing on a rock, dark brown with white belly, and a group of similar birds in the background on cliffs. Both birds are detailed with natural coloring and realistic postures, highlighting their typical habitats. The image serves as an educational depiction related to British bird species and their eggs.

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old wildlife illustrations @wildlife.nathan.fun · 1d

The stalk-eyed Crustacea Cambridge, Printed for the Museum, 1895. (source: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13885353) #nature #illustration #art

The stalk-eyed Crustacea
Cambridge, Printed for the Museum, 1895.
https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13885353�

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Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Oct 13

Today is also #AfricanPenguinAwarenessDay!
🚨 The African #Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is an #EndangeredSpecies.
Plate by Joseph Smit (1836–1929) from “Report on the birds collected during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76” (1881).
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sp...

digitized scan of a color book plate in portrait orientation, natural history art / scientific illustration: portrait of a standing African Penguin on the shore with colony in background

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BHL Australia @bhl-au.bsky.social · 1d

It’s #WorldAlgaeDay! What better day to celebrate the work of Irish phycologist William Henry Harvey. These images are drawn from the first volume of Harvey’s “Phycologia Australica”. To compile his works, Harvey travelled the world collecting specimens.

www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3809423

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Paul Barrett @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social · 1d

Found this while browsing in a Honiton bookshop: a nice 1863 (6th Ed.) Natural History of Selborne with sons nice woodcut illustrations

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Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 1d

Nature book challenge. A book per day in no particular order, until you've shared ALL of the best nature books in your personal library. No explanations, no reviews.
#Books #Nature #Naturewriting #naturebooks #conservation #naturebookchallenge #booksky
#MycoBookClub

INTRODUCTION TO THE MISTORY OF MYCOLOGY

By G. C. Ainsworth

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Biodiversity Heritage Library @biodivlibrary.bsky.social · 16h

It's #WorldAlgaeDay! Japanese algologist Kintaro Okamura (1867-1935) provided taxonomies & descriptions in English & Japanese for his monumental work "Nihon sorui zufu" / "Icones of Japanese Algae" (1907-1942). Find it in #BHLib via
#MBLWHOILibrary
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography... 🧪

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old wildlife illustrations @wildlife.nathan.fun · 7d

The natural history of British fishes: London: Printed for the author, and for F. and C. Rivington, 1802-08. (source: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5897388) #nature #illustration #art

The natural history of British fishes:
London: Printed for the author, and for F. and C. Rivington, 1802-08.
https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5897388�

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NHM Library and Archives @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social · 6d

This book from our Ornithology Library collection seems very fitting as birds migrate from the UK to warmer climes.

The travels of Birds (1916) by Frank M. Chapman.

⬆️Learn more about our collections and how to visit us via the link in our bio.

#NaturalHistoryMuseum #ModernCollections #Shelfie

A book held in front of a bookshelf. The front cover of the book shows an illustration of a coast line, low sun and V formation of a flock of birds.

A book held open in front of a bookshelf. The title page and page opposite are illustrated with black and white drawings of flocks of birds.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 6d

🏝 A history of the fishes of the British Islands
London: G. Bell, 1877-1878.

[Source]

Illustration from "A history of the fishes of the British Islands" (1877-1878) showing four elongated fish species. From left to right: Planer's lamprey, slender and beige with visible gill openings; mud lamprey, greenish-yellow with a narrow body; a large, brown-orange eel-like fish with a rounded head; and a small, detailed sketch of a lancelet in black and white. The fish are depicted with careful detail highlighting their shape and anatomical features. The background is plain, emphasizing the fish as marine species linked to the British Islands and surrounding waters.

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Tom Sharpe @tomsharperocks.bsky.social · 6d

#MolluscMonday: James Sowerby's illustration of Ammonites bucklandi from the Lias of the Bath district, in vol.2 of Mineral Conchology (1818), the description brightened by the tale of William Buckland being proclaimed an 'Ammon Knight' by his friends for his mode of carrying a large specimen.

Illustration from Sowerby's Mineral Conchology of the large ammonite he named after William Buckland. It shows a large spiral shell with its inner whorls missing.

Extract from Sowerby's published description: 'Found in the Blue Lias of Bath and the neighbourhood, measuring from a foot to 21 inches or more in diameter, and rather remarkable for having frequently lost the inner whorls; which circumstance, by a sort of friendly pun, has given rise to the name given it, in honour of a meritorious and enlightened Geologist, the Rev. W. Buckland, who having found a large specimen, was induced by his ardour to carry it himself, although of considerable weight, and being on horseback it was not the less inconvenient; but the inner whorls being gone so as to allow his head and shoulder to pass through, he placed it as a French horn is sometimes carried, above one shoulder and under the other, and thus rode with his friendly companions, who amused him by dubbing him an Ammon Knight; and thus the specimen was secured, by diverting the tedious toil otherwise hardly to be borne. May his zeal for information always be rewarded: may his abilities continue to meet that attention they have hitherto so deservedly gained: may his horn be exalted with honour.'

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Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · May 6

Everyone in the past was neurotypical, which is how we got things like this single-author, eight-volume encyclopedia of ferns

eight leatherbound books all titled "FERNS" volumes 1 through 8

650 5.3K 34K

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 9d

🦅 Coloured figures of the birds of the British Islands. v.1
London: R. H. Porter, 1885-1897.

[Source]

Illustration of a male Spotted Eagle (Aquila nævia) standing on grassy ground while gripping its prey in powerful yellow talons. The eagle has brown feathers with creamy white spots on its wings and back, a hooked yellow and black beak, and intense dark eyes. The prey, a small mammal, lies close to the ground with traces of blood visible. The background is soft and muted with grass blades, highlighting the bird’s detailed plumage and hunting behavior. This historic 1885-1897 colored lithograph depicts the eagle specimen killed near Sudbourne, Suffolk, in 1891.

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BHL Australia @bhl-au.bsky.social · 10d

This #FloralFriday we’re admiring the botanical observations of the Ross Expedition in “The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H. M. discovery ships Erebus and Terror in the years 1839-1843” by Joseph Dalton Hooker, illustrated by W. H. Fitch.

➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13448423

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NHM Library and Archives @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social · 9d

Go behind the scenes of Walter Rothschild’s research library and personal book collection.
Librarian Cat O’Carroll will showcase natural history treasures from the 16th-20th centuries, including rare books, early photography and original artworks.
#NHMTring #SciArt #NatureInArt #ZoologicalArt

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University of Exeter Special Collections @exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social · 9d

Tomorrow is UK Fungus Day! 🍄

Did you know we look after notebooks of botanist Edward Parfitt (1820-1893) relating to Devonshire fungi?

His notes include watercolour illustrations and notes on when and where he observed different types of fungi.

📷 EUL MS 35

#UKFungusDay #Fungi #Devon #Archives

A display of the collection on a table. A notebook is placed on a book cushion and opened to a page with notes and an illustration of fungi. Around the cushion four other notebooks are laid out, all entitled ‘Devonshire Fungi’. In the foreground are some loose papers, including illustrations and notes on fungi. In the background are shelves of historic books.

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Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 9d

Nature book challenge. A book per day in no particular order, until you've shared ALL of the best nature books in your personal library. No explanations, no reviews.
#Books #Nature #Naturewriting #naturebooks #conservation #naturebookchallenge #booksky
#MycoBookClub #FungiFriday

Book cover: The genus Cortinarius in Britain By Geoffrey Kibby and Mario Tortelli

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Gwenfar @gwenfar.bsky.social · 11d

Just finished "Dinosaurs, how they lived and evolved", by @tetzoo.bsky.social and Paul Barrett. It covers the history & origins of dinosaurs, family trees, biology, behaviour, origins of birds etc. It's a great overview with lots of pictures & graphs to assist understanding. Highly recommend.

Front cover of the book, depicting a Ceratosuchops inferodios, from the Isle of Wight.

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John Beaufoy Publishing @jbpublishing.bsky.social · 11d

Our thanks go to @Fatbirder
for his super review of 'John Henry Gurney: A Passion for Birds' - we are delighted that it's his kind of book!
Congratulations to the authors!
@britornitholclub.bsky.social
#bookreview #johnHenryGurney #birdingbooks #birdinghistory
fatbirder.com/reviews/john...

Book, Binocular and Clothing Reviews - John Henry Gurney – A Passion for Birds - Fat Birder

fatbirder.com

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Darren Naish @tetzoo.bsky.social · 11d

What's in MESOZOIC ART II, our new, outstandingly gorgeous #palaeoart-themed giant book? Check it out ... tetzoo.com/blog/2025/9/... #art #books #dinosaurs #paleoart

Mesozoic Art II, Palaeoart Portfolio for the 2020s — Tetrapod Zoology

Among the most successful of books I’ve been involved in are those devoted to palaeoart. In particular, I’m thinking here of 2022’s Mesozoic Art , edited by Steve White and myself and published by Bl...

tetzoo.com

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 10d

🦭 Les mollusques
Paris: Fortin, Masson et cie ., [1836-1845]

[Source]

Historical illustration from "Les mollusques" (1836-1845) depicting four detailed views of a sea mussel (Mytilus edulis). Two whole shells are shown at top left and right, one with barnacle growth. Below, two cross-sections reveal the mussel’s internal anatomy, labeled with letters and showing organs and structures. A long, slender, translucent anatomical detail is centered vertically. The illustration focuses on the edible mollusk’s form and biological features with hand-colored precision against a plain background. Despite the keyword “seal,” the image presents a marine mollusk, not the marine mammal.

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