Fauna Boreali-Americana; or, The Zoology of the Northern Parts of British America
Containing Descriptions of the Objects of Natural History Collected on the Late Northern Land Expeditions under Command of Captain Sir John Franklin, R.N.

Written after Franklin's second Arctic expedition, this four-volume work on Arctic natural history was first published between 1829 and 1837.

John Richardson (Author), William Swainson (Assisted by), William Kirby (Assisted by)

9781108041683, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 16 February 2012

698 pages, 50 colour illus.
29.7 x 21 x 3.5 cm, 1.65 kg

Sir John Richardson (1787–1865), surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer, went on Sir John Franklin's first two Arctic expeditions as ship's doctor and naturalist, and made observations and collected a large number of plant and animal specimens from the Canadian Arctic. On his return to England after the second expedition he began to write this four-volume work of natural history, first published between 1829 and 1837. A volume is dedicated to each of the classes of mammal, bird, fish and insect, which are found in the Canadian Arctic. This work is an interesting example of pre-Darwinian natural history, full of detailed descriptions of the appearance, anatomy and behaviour of the different species. Volume 2 was first published in 1831 and focuses on the species of birds found in the Canadian Arctic. It was co-authored with naturalist and illustrator William Swainson (1789–1855) and contains many illustrations.

Introduction John Richardson
Introductory observations on the natural system William Swainson
Preface William Swainson
List of authors
Raptores: Vulturidae
Falconidae
Strigidae
Insessores: Dentirostres: Lanidae
Merulidae
Sylvidae
Ampelidae
Conirostres: Fringillidae
Sturnidae
Corvidae
Curtipedes
Scansores: Picidae
Certhidae
Tenuirostres: Trochilidae
Fissirostres: Hirundinidae
Caprimulgidae
Halcyonidae
Rasores: Tetraonidae
Columbidae
Grallatores
Natatores: Anatidae
Appendices
Index.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]