Research Catalog

Title

A monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming-birds. Supplement / by John Gould, F.R.S. ; completed after the author's death by R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S. &c., Zoological Department, British Museum.

Author

Gould, John, 1804-1881

Publication

• London : Henry Sotheran & Co., 32 Picadilly, 1887.
• [London] : Printed by Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Sharpe, Richard Bowdler, 1847-1909
• Salvin, Osbert, 1835-1898
• Hart, William Matthew, 1830-1908
• Henry Sotheran Ltd., publisher.
• Walter (Lithographers), printer of plates.
• Mintern Bros., printer of plates.
• Taylor & Francis, printer.

Description

162 unnumbered leaves : 58 color illustrations; 56 cm

Summary

Intended as a record of hummingbird species discovered since the publication of Gould's original 5-volume monograph (A monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming-birds) in 1861; describes 122 species in all. There are 42 leaves of letterpress containing descriptions of species that are not illustrated; contains also title page, preface by R. Bowdler Sharpe, contents and list of plates (4 unnumbered leaves at beginning).

Alternative Title

• Monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of hummingbirds. Supplement
• Monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming birds. Supplement
• Supplement to the Trochilidae or humming-birds

Subjects

• Hummingbirds > Pictorial works
• Birds in art

Note

• "The right of translation is reserved."
• On title page, "Supplement" appears at end of statement of responsibility.
• Originally issued in 5 parts between 1880 and 1887. See Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library (cited below). Parts title pages are normally canceled in complete copies.
• "It fell to my lot, on Mr. Gould's death, to complete the present work ... The plates for this Supplement were nearly all drawn during the lifetime of Mr. Gould; to these I have added certain others as representing species well worthy of illustration, the specimens having been lent to me by Mr. Osbert Salvin ... To Mr. Salvin I owe the deepest acknowledgment, for his advice in planning the present work and for having supervised the proofs of each part"--Preface by R. Bowdler Sharpe.
• "Gould died after the first part had been issued, but Pt. II appeared shortly thereafter in the form which he had planned. The completion of the work was then undertaken by the publishers who obtained the services of Sharpe to write the remaining text, Hart to prepare the plates, and Salvin to supervise the whole. Gould had planned to complete the work in four parts for which he had already prepared a large number of the plates. It was found that he had underestimated the probable extent of the project and that there were many species yet to be included if the work were to be a complete exposition of all the hummingbirds discovered since the publication of the original monograph ... in 1849-61. The resulting increase in the text and illustrations required an extra part"--Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library.
• Illustrations: 58 full-page hand-colored lithographs, illustrating 60 species, each accompanied by leaf of letterpress (some with letterpress on both sides). Most illustrations sketched by Gould from specimens and drawn and lithographed by W. Hart, who was also the colorist; some credited to Hart alone. Lithographs printed by Walter or Mintern Bros.
• Gould's coloring technique, as demonstrated in the Great Exhibition of 1851, is described in Official descriptive and illustrated catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851, v. 2, class 30, exhibitor 247, page 836: "Gould, J., 20 Broad Street, Golden Square, inventor. A new mode of representing the luminous and metallic colouring of the Trochilidae, or humming birds. The effect is produced by a combination of transparent oil and varnish colours over pure leaf gold, laid upon paper prepared for the purpose." See also Taylor, Tom. Aves, 2011, pages 41-42: "With the aid of novel techniques, such as painting over gold leaf with transparent watercolors, and depicting the birds, often in flight, amid luxuriant tropical flowers, [Gould] managed to give viewers of his plates a glimpse of his subjects' vivid spirit. In fact, one of the most distinctive qualities of the hummingbird's iridescence--the way a male's throat will suddenly flash with brilliance in just the right light--is often captured by Gould's coloring technique."

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (in nomenclature).

Indexed In (note)

• Anker, J. Bird books and bird art
• Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library
• Nissen, C. Illustrierten Vogelbücher
• Ornithological books in the Yale University Library
• Sauer, G.C. "John Gould's major published works." In Sauer, G.C. John Gould, the bird man, pages 11-86
• Sitwell, S. Fine bird books, 1700-1900 (1990 ed.)

Additional Formats (note)

• Also available online (Smithsonian Libraries copy) via Archive.org and Biodiversity Heritage Library website.

Call Number

Stuart 623

OCLC

21804640

Author

Gould, John, 1804-1881, author, illustrator.

Title

A monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming-birds. Supplement / by John Gould, F.R.S. ; completed after the author's death by R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S. &c., Zoological Department, British Museum.

Publisher

London : Henry Sotheran & Co., 32 Picadilly, 1887.

Manufacturer

[London] : Printed by Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street.

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Indexed In:

Anker, J. Bird books and bird art, entry 177

Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library, pages 263-264

Nissen, C. Illustrierten Vogelbücher, entry 380

Ornithological books in the Yale University Library, pages 113-114

Sauer, G.C. "John Gould's major published works." In Sauer, G.C. John Gould, the bird man, pages 11-86, no. 29, pages 84-85

Sitwell, S. Fine bird books, 1700-1900 (1990 ed.), page 102

Additional Formats

Also available online (Smithsonian Libraries copy) via Archive.org and Biodiversity Heritage Library website.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (in nomenclature).

Place of Publication

England London.

Added Author

Sharpe, Richard Bowdler, 1847-1909, author, editor.

Salvin, Osbert, 1835-1898, editor.

Hart, William Matthew, 1830-1908, illustrator, lithographer, colorist.

Henry Sotheran Ltd., publisher.

Walter (Lithographers), printer of plates.

Mintern Bros., printer of plates.

Taylor & Francis, printer.

Supplement To:

Supplement to (work): Gould, John, 1804-1881. Monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming-birds. London : Published by the author, 26 Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, 1861. (OCoLC)9648140

Research Call Number

Stuart 623

QMD+++ (Gould, J. Monograph of the Trochilidæ)