Bücher der Reihe Cambridge Library Collection - Zoology

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.

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.

English anatomist and biologist Richard Owen (1804-92), who in 1842 coined the word 'dinosaur', published this book in 1859, the year of On the Origin of Species. He reviews ancient and recent studies of mammals in Western science before going on to present his own updated categorisation of the class. Owen's eye for detail and range of scholarship are evident in this work, which is an extensive catalogue of mammals based on biological, geographical and anatomical characteristics. It incorporates, among other things, detailed classifications and sub-classifications of genus based on dental structures, food habits and cerebra. Owen's prose is lucid and precise and his investigations scrupulous, demonstrating the commitment that led him to become one of the foremost anatomists of his time. An appendix reveals Owen's views on the hotly debated theories of transmutation and extinction proposed by scientists such as Lamarck, Lyell and Darwin.

William Swainson F. R. S., was recognised principally as a zoologist, an ornithologist and a skilled and prolific illustrator. He also had a tremendous enthusiasm for seeking and identifying new species. In this 1834 volume however, Swainson addressed the nature of, foundations for and successful pursuit of zoology. It argues firmly for the key importance of taxonomy. Swainson was an ardent advocate of MacLeay's now entirely outmoded 'quinary' system of classification - even then a distinctly minority view. This sought affinities, patterns and analogies among organisms, in order to discern God's order. More than a mere curiosity, such work was of pivotal concern to enterprising naturalists of the 1820s and 1830s - including the young Charles Darwin. It also reached Robert Chambers, whose 1844 Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was an important landmark in the development of the theory of evolution.

First published in 1863, this is a first-hand account of Henry Walter Bates' eleven-year expedition to the river Amazon in 1848, during which he discovered some eight thousand species unknown to the natural sciences. Written in the first person, it records the astonishing range of natural life in the regions traversed by the Amazon and its tributaries. Describing his adventures south of the equator, Bates takes the reader through Para, Tocantins, Cameta, Marajo, Caripi, Obydos, Manos, Santarem, Tapajos, and Ega, descriptively cataloguing the rich vegetation, aboriginal population, and wondrous birds, animals and insects of these regions. More than just a scientist's log, the work that took Bates three years to complete was considered by Darwin to be 'the best work of natural history travels ever published in England.' This third edition of the book (1873) also contains numerous illustrations by the noted zoologist Joseph Wolf.

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.

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.

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.

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.

John Fleming (1785-1857) was a minister of the Church of Scotland, but in his time at the University of Edinburgh he had also studied geology and zoology. His two-volume Philosophy of Zoology published in 1822, was borrowed by the young Charles Darwin from Edinburgh University Library.

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.