PROSPECTUS.
To those who have not seen any portion of the Author's Collection of Original Drawings, it may be proper to state, that their superiority consists in the accuracy as to proportion and outline, and the variety and truth of the attitudes and positions of the figures, resulting from peculiar means discovered and employed by the Author, and his attentive examination of the objects portrayed, during a long series of years. The Author has not contented himself, as others have done, with single profile views, but in very many instances has grouped his figures, so as to represent the originals at their natural avocations, and has placed them on branches of trees, decorated with foliage, blossoms and fruits, or amidst plants of numerous species. Some are seen pursuing their prey through the air, searching for food amongst the leaves and herbage, sitting on their nests, or feeding their young; whilst others, of a different nature, swim, wade, or glide in or over their allotted element. The Insects, Reptiles and Fishes, that form the food of these birds, have now and then been introduced into the drawings. In every instance where a difference of plumage exists between the sexes, both the Male and the Female have been represented; and the extraordinary changes which some species undergo, in their progress from youth to maturity, have been depicted. The Plants are all copied from Nature; and as many of the originals are remarkable for their beauty, their usefulness, or their rarity, the Botanist cannot fail to look upon them with delight.
The particulars of the Plan of the Work may be reduced to the following heads:—
- 1. The size of the work is Double Elephant Folio, the paper being
of the finest quality.
- 2. The engravings are, in every instance, of the exact dimensions
of the drawings, which, without any exception, represent the birds
and other objects of their natural size.
- 3. The Plates are coloured in the most careful manner, from the
original drawings.
- 4. The work appears in Numbers, of which five are published annually,
each Number consisting of five Plates.
- 5. The price of each number is Two Guineas, payable on delivery.
Persons desirous of becoming Subscribers, are requested to apply to
MR AUDUBON,
Or to Mr R. Havell junior, Engraver and Publisher, 77. Oxford Street, London, with whom specimens of the work may be seen, or to any of the following agents:—
- Messrs Treuttel, Wurtz and Co., Soho Square, London.
- Messrs Robinson, Liverpool.
- Mr T. Sowler, Manchester.
- Mr E. Charnley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
- Messrs Pool and Booth, Chester.
- Messrs Beilby, Knott and Beilby, Birmingham; and
- Mr Adam Black, North Bridge, Edinburgh.
The First Volume, consisting of One Hundred Plates, representing Ninety-nine species of Birds, of many of which there are several Figures, is now published. It is expected that other Three Volumes, of equal size, will complete the work.
CONTENTS
OF
VOL. I. OF THE BIRDS OF AMERICA.
| Plates published in 1827. |
| 1. | The Wild Turkey. Male, | Meleagris Gallopavo. Linn. |
| 2. | Yellow-billed Cuckoo, | Coccyzus americanus. Bonap. |
| 3. | Prothonotary Warbler, | Sylvia Protonotarius. Lath. |
| 4. | Purple Finch, | Fringilla purpurea. Gmel. |
| 5. | Bonaparte's Fly-catcher, | Muscicapa Bonapartii. Aud. |
| 6. | Wild Turkey. Female, | Meleagris Gallopavo. Linn. |
| 7. | Purple Grakle, | Quiscalus versicolor. Vieill. |
| 8. | White-throated Sparrow, | Fringilla pennsylvanica. Lath. |
| 9. | Selby's Flycatcher, | Muscicapa Selbii. Aud. |
| 10. | Brown Titlark, | Anthus Spinoletta. Bonap. |
| 11. | Bird of Washington, | Falco Washingtonii. Aud. |
| 12. | Baltimore Oriole, | Icterus Baltimore. Daud. |
| 13. | Snow Bird, | Fringilla hyemalis. Linn. |
| 14. | Prairie Warbler, | Sylvia discolor. Vieill. |
| 15. | Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, | Sylvia americana. Lath. |
| 16. | Great-footed Hawk, | Falco peregrinus. Gmel. |
| 17. | Carolina Turtle Dove, | Columba carolinensis. Linn. |
| 18. | Bewick's Wren, | Troglodytes Bewickii. Aud. |
| 19. | Louisiana Water Thrush, | Turdus ludovicianus. Aud. |
| 20. | Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, | Sylvia solitaria. Wils. |
| 21. | Mocking Bird, | Turdus polyglottus. Linn. |
| 22. | Purple Martin, | Hirundo purpurea. Linn. |
| 23. | Maryland Yellow-throat, | Sylvia Trichas. Lath. |
| 24. | Roscoe's Yellow-throat, | Sylvia Roscoe. Aud. |
| 25. | Song Sparrow, | Fringilla melodia. Wils. |
| 1828. |
| 26. | Carolina Parrot, | Psittacus carolinensis. Linn. |
| 27. | Red-headed Woodpecker, | Picus erythrocephalus. Linn. |
| 28. | Solitary Fly-catcher, | Vireo solitarius. Vieill. |
| 29. | Towhe Bunting, | Fringilla erythrophthalma. Linn. |
| 30. | Vigors's Warbler, | Sylvia Vigorsii. Aud. |
| 31. | White-headed Eagle, | Falco leucocephalus. Linn. |
| 32. | Black-billed Cuckoo, | Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. Bon. |
| 33. | American Goldfinch, | Fringilla tristis. Linn. |
| 34. | Worm-eating Warbler, | Sylvia vermivora. Lath. |
| 35. | Children's Warbler, | Sylvia Childrenii. Aud. |
| 36. | Stanley Hawk, | Falco Stanleii. Aud. |
| 37. | Golden-winged Woodpecker, | Picus auratus. Linn. |
| 38. | Kentucky Warbler, | Sylvia formosa. Wils. |
| 39. | Crested Titmouse, | Parus bicolor. Linn. |
| 40. | American Redstart, | Muscicapa Ruticilla. Linn. |
| 41. | Ruffed Grouse, | Tetrao Umbellus. Linn. |
| 42. | Orchard Oriole, | Icterus spurius. Bonap. |
| 43. | Cedar Bird, | Bombycilla carolinensis. Briss. |
| 44. | Summer Red Bird, | Tanagra æstiva. Gmel. |
| 45. | Traill's Flycatcher, | Sylvia Traillii. Aud. |
| 46. | Barred Owl, | Strix nebulosa. Gmel. |
| 47. | Ruby-throated Humming Bird, | Trochilus colubris. Linn. |
| 48. | Azure Warbler, | Sylvia azurea. Steph. |
| 49. | Blue-green Warbler, | Sylvia rara. Lath. |
| 50. | Black-and-yellow Warbler, | Sylvia maculosa. Lath. |
| 1829. |
| 51. | Red-tailed Hawk, | Falco borealis. Gmel. |
| 52. | Chuckwill's Widow, | Caprimulgus carolinensis. Briss. |
| 53. | Painted Finch, | Fringilla ciris. Temm. |
| 54. | Rice Bird, | Icterus agripennis. Bonap. |
| 55. | Cuvier's Regulus, | Regulus Cuvierii. Aud. |
| 56. | Red-shouldered Hawk, | Falco lineatus. Gmel. |
| 57. | Loggerhead Shrike, | Lanius ludovicianus. Linn. |
| 58. | Hermit Thrush, | Turdus minor. Gmel. |
| 59. | Chestnut-sided Warbler, | Sylvia icterocephala. Lath. |
| 60. | Carbonated Warbler, | Sylvia carbonata. Aud. |
| 61. | Great Horned Owl, | Strix virginiana. Gmel. |
| 62. | Passenger Pigeon, | Columba migratoria. Linn. |
| 63. | White-eyed Flycatcher, | Vireo noveboracensis. Bonap. |
| 64. | Swamp Sparrow, | Fringilla palustris. Wils. |
| 65. | Rathbone Warbler, | Sylvia Rathbonii. Aud. |
| 66. | Ivory-billed Woodpecker, | Picus principalis. Linn. |
| 67. | Red-winged Starling, | Icterus phœniceus. Daud. |
| 68. | Republican Swallow, | Hirundo fulva. Vieill. |
| 69. | Bay-breasted Warbler, | Sylvia castanea. Wils. |
| 70. | Henslow's Bunting, | Emberiza Henslowii. Aud. |
| 71. | Winter Hawk, | Falco hyemalis. Gmel. |
| 72. | Swallow-tailed Hawk, | Falco furcatus. Linn. |
| 73. | Wood Thrush, | Turdus mustelinus. Gmel. |
| 74. | Indigo Bird, | Fringilla cyanea. Wils. |
| 75. | Le Petit Caporal, | Falco temerarius. Aud. |
| 1830. |
| 76. | Virginian Partridge, | Perdix virginiana. Lath. |
| 77. | Belted Kingsfisher, | Alcedo Alcyon. Linn. |
| 78. | Great Carolina Wren, | Troglodytes ludovicianus. Bonap. |
| 79. | Tyrant Flycatcher, | Muscicapa Tyrannus. Briss. |
| 80. | Prairie Titlark, | Anthus pipiens. Aud. |
| 81. | Fish Hawk, | Falco Haliäetos. Linn. |
| 82. | Whip-poor-will, | Caprimulgus vociferus. Wils. |
| 83. | House Wren, | Troglodytes ædon. Vieill. |
| 84. | Blue-grey Flycatcher, | Muscicapa cærulea. Lath. |
| 85. | Yellow-throated Warbler, | Sylvia pensilis. Lath. |
| 86. | Black Warrior, | Falco Harlani. Aud. |
| 87. | Florida Jay, | Corvus floridanus. Bart. |
| 88. | Autumnal Warbler, | Sylvia autumnalis. Wils. |
| 89. | Nashville Warbler, | Sylvia rubricapilla. Wils. |
| 90. | Black-and-white Creeper, | Certhia varia. Aud. |
| 91. | Broad-winged Hawk, | Falco pennsylvanicus. Lath. |
| 92. | Pigeon Hawk, | Falco columbarius. Linn. |
| 93. | Sea-side Finch, | Fringilla maritima. Wils. |
| 94. | Bay-winged Bunting, | Fringilla graminea. Gmel. |
| 95. | Yellow-poll Warbler, | Sylvia æstiva. Lath. |
| 96. | Columbian Jay, | Corvus Bullockii. Wag. |
| 97. | Mottled Owl, | Strix Asio. Linn. |
| 98. | White-bellied Swallow, | Hirundo bicolor. Vieill. |
| 99. | Cow-pen Bird, | Icterus pecoris. Bonap. |
| 100. | Marsh Wren, | Troglodytes palustris. Bonap. |