Bøker i Cambridge Library Collection - Zoology-serien

Published in 1790, this natural history was drafted by engraver Ralph Beilby (1743-1817) and illustrated by his former apprentice Thomas Bewick (1753-1828). This account of well-known and exotic animals, ranging from horses to anteaters, was so popular that the book ran to seven editions and sold 14,000 copies.

English zoologist Philip Henry Gosse (1810-88) spent several years studying the biodiversity of habitats in North America and the Caribbean. His Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica (1851) is reissued in this series. When he settled on the Devonshire coast, the area proved equally rich for research. In this 1859 publication, the deeply religious Gosse considers the 'Divine mechanics' of animal body parts and microorganisms seen through the lens of a microscope. He leads the reader through a selection of specimens ranging from a hog's bristle to the shoe-like protist Paramecium. Gosse's writing style, enlivened with anecdotes and literary references, earned him considerable appreciation among Victorian audiences. His entertaining text is complemented by more than 100 illustrations which showcase his draughtsmanship. While the work shares its year of publication with Darwin's groundbreaking Origin of Species, Gosse's religious views firmly shaped his interpretation of the specimens on show.

An Oxford-educated clergyman and prolific writer on natural history topics ranging from seashore wildlife to microscopy, John George Wood (1827-89) wrote and lectured for a receptive Victorian audience. His books were not rigorously scientific, but they made their subjects accessible to laypeople and were said to have inspired many future naturalists in their youth. His Nature's Teachings (1877) has also been reissued in this series. Theodore Wood (1862-1923) published this biography of his father in 1890. The account covers Wood's childhood and education, his clerical work and his desire to share his enthusiasm for the natural world with the public. His lecturing engagements, including a tour of America, and his home life are also discussed. An affectionate portrait of a significant figure in the history of popular science, this work sheds light on the intellectual interests of its subject and his readership.

The naturalist and traveller Thomas Pennant (1726-98) helped popularise British ornithology by meticulously compiling and arranging existing research. At the age of twelve, Pennant had been given Francis Willughby's Ornithology (1678), to which he credited his lifelong love of natural history. His own writings on ornithology are heavily based on the classification system devised by Willughby and John Ray, which divides birds primarily into land birds and waterfowl. Although Pennant's brief, accessible book brought few original insights to the field, it boosted public interest in the study and classification of birds. The detailed descriptions of the appearance and habits of each bird are enlivened by the author's elegant turns of phrase. This better-known 1781 version of the 1773 original includes fifteen fine engravings. Pennant's other zoological works include Arctic Zoology (1784-5) and his History of Quadrupeds (third edition, 1793), both of which are reissued in this series.

First published in 1840 as a volume in the Cabinet Cyclopaedia - a series published between 1830 and 1844, intended for the self-educating middle class - this work was written by the naturalist and artist William Swainson (1789-1855). The first part is a treatise on taxidermy, showcasing methods of Victorian science that may appear gruesome to modern readers. It discusses the best ways to collect, preserve and present animals for scientific study. Swainson gives detailed advice, making allowances for naturalists working in different locations and searching for a range of species. The directions for skinning and mounting animals are not for the faint-hearted, but they offer a fascinating insight into the practices of the time. The work's second part is a zoological bibliography, with short biographies of notable authors. Zoological painters and engravers, such as Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), are also featured.

Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) remains one of the most thoughtful and most lyrical writers on the English countryside. He had aspirations to make a living as a novelist, but it was his short, factually based articles for The Live Stock Journal and other magazines, drawn from a wealth of knowledge of the rural community into which he had been born, which when collected in book form brought him recognition (though not wealth), and which continued to be read and admired after his early death. Wild Life in a Southern County, published in 1879, examines the habitats of the Downs and the birds and animals which live there. Written in Jefferies' highly descriptive style, these essays reveal his deep love and knowledge of the countryside. The sense of wonder evoked by the natural world, which permeates all of Jefferies' works, is fully exemplified in this volume.

John Murray, a writer on many different scientific topics, published this collection of essays, on what might be called the physics of biology, in 1826. His studies cover glow-worms, the luminosity of the sea, the strength and lightness of spider webs, the chameleon's colour changes, and 'the torpidity of the tortoise'.

This 1825 translation was published as part of a project to introduce the culture of silkworms into Britain. The silkworm's exclusive diet, and the specific techniques, buildings and equipment required to raise it commercially, are all discussed, as are its diseases, and the way to ensure a breeding stock.

Eminent French scientist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) spent his life studying the anatomy of animals. His most influential work integrated for the first time geology, palaeontology, zoology and comparative anatomy. First published in 1817, this four-volume work covers mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, molluscs, arachnids, insects and zoophytes.

In this 1842 study, innovative German chemist Justus von Liebig (1803-73) analyses animal metabolism using methods applied in organic chemistry. Several of his works, including this one, were translated into English by his colleague William Gregory (1803-58), who popularised Liebig's laboratory-based teaching methods among British researchers.

This 1885 work by naturalist Symington Grieve collects together 'a considerable amount of literature bearing upon the 'History, Archaeology, and Remains' of this extinct bird', including articles on the distribution of the great auk, its various names, and information on all the surviving specimens, whether stuffed, skeletal, bones, or eggs.

This 1795 publication, edited by the physician John Aikin (1747-1822), gathers together observations on flora and fauna through the four seasons, made by the renowned naturalist Gilbert White (1720-93). Following a month-by-month record of natural events, the book contains studies of birds, quadrupeds, insects, plants and the weather.

Attempting to separate myth from reality, this illustrated 1848 monograph by Hugh Edwin Strickland (1811-53) and Alexander Gordon Melville (1819-1901) describes the dodo and other extinct birds from islands in the Indian Ocean. Analysing their osteology in detail, it is considered a seminal work on the topic.

In 1824, doctor and naturalist Henry William Dewhurst embarked on a voyage to Greenland and spent his time there observing Arctic marine life. He published his detailed findings on the whales and other creatures he saw, complete with engraved illustrations, in 1834, making this work an important early zoological study.

This classic work by beekeeper and entomologist F. W. L. Sladen (1876-1921), which provides a guide to identifying and domesticating bumblebees, was published in 1912. Combining the enthusiasm of a naturalist with the precision of a scientist, it is of continuing interest and importance in environmental studies.

Eminent French scientist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) spent his life studying the anatomy of animals. His most influential work integrated for the first time geology, palaeontology, zoology and comparative anatomy. First published in 1817, this four-volume work covers mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, molluscs, arachnids, insects and zoophytes.

Naturalist and surgeon Sir John Richardson (1787-1865) accompanied Sir John Franklin on his first two Arctic expeditions. Richardson collected specimens during the trips and produced this four-volume natural history work on his return. Volume 1 was first published in 1829 and is dedicated to Arctic mammal species.

The most influential work of French biologist and comparative anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), Le Regne Animal, was published in French in 1817, and this sixteen-volume illustrated English version appeared between 1827 and 1835.

The most influential work of French biologist and comparative anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), Le Regne Animal, was published in French in 1817, and this sixteen-volume illustrated English version appeared between 1827 and 1835.

Published in 1901, this illustrated two-volume biography of the renowned English naturalist Gilbert White (1720-93) presents a thorough account of his life and achievements. Prepared by White's great-great-nephew Rashleigh Holt-White (1826-1920), it incorporates a selection of White's correspondence, providing valuable insights into his personal beliefs and character.

Published in 1901, this illustrated two-volume biography of the renowned English naturalist Gilbert White (1720-93) presents a thorough account of his life and achievements. Prepared by White's great-great-nephew Rashleigh Holt-White (1826-1920), it incorporates a selection of White's correspondence, providing valuable insights into his personal beliefs and character.

Ornithologist Henry Seebohm (1832-95) travelled widely in Europe and Asia. This 1901 illustrated volume contains two books recounting his travels. Siberia in Europe (1880) was the result of an expedition to the lower Pechora River. Siberia in Asia (1882) was published after a journey along the Yenisey River.

First published in 1876, this comprehensive two-volume set presents Alfred Russel Wallace's findings on the distribution of thousands of animal and bird species. Volume 1 explores classification, migration and geological conditions in a diverse range of zoological regions worldwide, contributing to a landmark study in zoology and evolutionary biology.

Richard Owen (1804-92) was a brilliant comparative anatomist who founded the Natural History Museum and coined the term 'dinosaur'. He was also a fierce critic of Darwin's theory of evolution. Published in 1894, this two-volume biography includes an essay by Thomas Huxley on Owen's contributions to anatomical science.

White's Natural History and Antiquities (1789) consists of a series of letters written to Daines Barrington and Thomas Pennant. The letters in Natural History contain detailed information about White's observations of local flora, fauna and wildlife while Antiquities is concerned with the topography, social, political and ancient history of Selborne.

New Zealand's unique advantage in having written records about the introduction of new species from the 1770s onwards allowed George Thomson to trace the origins and spread of most of the island's non-native flora and fauna. His 1922 study provides valuable information about the country's ecological history.

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) was a leading French naturalist. These volumes, first published between 1770 and 1783 and translated into English in 1793, contain Buffon's description of various bird species and provide the first comprehensive account of eighteenth-century ornithology. Volume 1 covers birds of prey.

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a British naturalist best remembered as the co-discoverer of natural selection. These volumes, first published in 1869, contain Wallace's account of fieldwork he undertook in Indonesia, Malaysia and New Guinea between 1854 and 1862. Volume 1 covers the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Palaeontologist Richard Owen (1804-92) was superintendent of natural history in the British Museum and founder of the Natural History Museum. This 1866 work gives a thorough overview of vertebrate anatomy. Volume 1 deals with haematocrya, or cold-blooded vertebrates such as fishes and reptiles.

This 1784 two-volume work by Thomas Pennant (1726-98), zoologist and traveller, describes the wildlife of northern America, Europe and Siberia. Volume 1 describes the various habitats of the Arctic and its indigenous quadrupeds. Other works by Thomas Pennant are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.