"The height of this surprising bird is 2 feet!"

September 16, 2023 2:53 PM

The Naturalists Companion, Containing drawings with suitable descriptions of a vast variety of Quadrupeds, Birds, Fishes, Serpent and Insects; &c accurately copied either from Living Animals or from the stuffed Specimens in the Museums of the College and Dublin Society "This volume, of a miscellany of museum artefacts, natural history specimens, and material culture, exemplified the way many Europeans encountered natural history from the new world: not with Enlightenment rigour but with eclectic and unsystematic enthusiasm." An article about this unusual book from the State Library of New South Wales and, of course, all the photos in one Flickr album and a keyword searchable set of page scans. [via]
posted by jessamyn (6 comments total)

See also: The Naturalist's Miscellany.
posted by jessamyn at 2:55 PM on September 16, 2023

These are great. I love how so many of the birds are on a dead branch on the ground or even a cut log. Like, he really has no idea where they might have been in their natural habitat. Or probably what they were doing. I would assume that most of the specimens from distant lands would have been sent back as study skins for compact shipping.

I also like the kangaroo gathering carrots, which apparently was drawn from one in a menagerie. Like, why not draw an elephant with one foot up on a garishly painted stool?
posted by snofoam at 3:14 PM on September 16, 2023

knock knock

Who's there?

The interrupted Stag Be—

I'm busy come back later



[this post makes for interesting browsing material while i am eating dinner.]
posted by not_on_display at 3:51 PM on September 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter: not with Enlightenment rigour but with eclectic and unsystematic enthusiasm
posted by hippybear at 4:01 PM on September 16, 2023 [3 favorites]

Mod note: Fixed the NM link, carry on.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:30 PM on September 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

'Of the Blue Shark, for instance, he notes that “no fish can swim so fast as the shark, he outstrips the swiftest ships, such amazing powers, with such great appetites for destruction…”'

In which we learn that young Axl Rose was a connesiuer of antique zoological texts.
posted by kaibutsu at 9:05 AM on September 17, 2023