This fascinating book, written by the authors of Biographies for Birdwatchers, and Audubon to Xantus, examines the history and uses of bird skin collections and the many colourful explorers involved in their development, from the eighteenth century up to the present day.
Hunting and Harvesting. A Bird in the Hand. The Practicalities. Collecting Gathers Momentum. The Early Scientific Voyages. Trade and Commerce. Bird Artists as Collectors. Government-Sponsored Collecting. Army Officers. The Medical Profession. Clergymen and Missionaries. Terra Incognita. The Great Accumulators. The Professional Field Collectors. Women in the Field. The Protectionists and Conservationists. The Importance of Old and New Bird Collections. Appendix. Biographical Sources. General Bibliography and References. Index of English and Scientific Names of Birds. Index of People.