In Mark Catesby's Legacy, Natural History Then and Now Alan Brush, Emeritus Professor of Physiology &amp; Neurobiology at the University of Connecticut, provides an important historical perspective on the scientific discoveries made by the Englishman Mark Catesby 1683-1749, who traveled in the Carolinas, Florida and the Bahamas three centuries ago. Professor Brush's observations are complemented by the delicate, contemporary paintings (inspired by Catesby's own beautiful drawings of fauna and flora) by his wife, M. J. Brush, a professional illustrator.
Mark Catesby's Legacy answers a question every Mark Catesby enthusiast must at some point ask: What has become of the natural world Catesby so uniquely chronicled in the early 18 th century? This is a question the Brushes are qualified to address. Like Catesby, they have traveled throughout the Carolinas, Florida and Bahamas - primarily by sailboat - and described and painted many of the plants and animals featured in Catesby's magisterial two volume folio The Natural History of the Carolinas, Florida and the Bahamas first published in London in 1731. It was so popular that it went through several editions in 1754 and 1771 and remaining in print at least until 1815. It influenced the works of Edwards, Linnaeus, Gould, Audubon and even Charles Darwin. It was used by President Jefferson and also by Lewis and Clark in planning their exploration to the West Coast.
While many of the species Catesby illustrated and described are still here in abundance, others face serious challenges to their survival, or are now extinct: sadly, for example, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the Carolina Parakeet and the Passenger Pigeon are no longer with us.. Mark Catesby's Legacy, Natural History Then and Now provides a fresh look at the rich diversity of life in a complex and enchanting part of the world in the early 21 st century and a must read for all naturalists and admirers of the work of Mark Catesby worldwide.

Mark Catesby's Legacy: Natural History Then and Now

Alan Brush

Catesby Commemorative Trust Inc

Mark Catesby's Natural History: An Introduction is a delightful picture book. It contains a collection of beautiful images of etchings by early eighteenth century naturalist and explorer Mark Catesby from his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was first published in 1731 (a century before John James Audubon's Birds of America) and which was described by a knowledgeable contemporary as "the most magnificent Work I know of, since the Art of Printing has been discover'd." It was the first fully illustrated natural history of North America.
During his travels in North America, Catesby had to endure encounters with hurricanes, disease, rattlesnakes, poisonous trees, and an Indian ambush. It was also during this period that he made some notable observations. He is, for example, credited with the first known written comments in English about the effects of habitat destruction on the survival of a species.
Mark Catesby's Natural History: An Introduction provides a window, not only into the flora and fauna of the early eighteenth century, but into the fascinating mind of an observer who meticulously recorded what he saw long before the advent and advantages of a modern-day camera. 50 carefully arranged examples of Catesby's illustrations (which he personally etched and colored) are paired with relevant extracts from the text of The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, as well as appropriate commentary.
Examples of the illustrations in Mark Catesby's Natural History: An Introduction include the very first colored illustrations of the now-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the Carolina Parakeet and the Passenger Pigeon. It also includes the first known and still existing pen and ink drawing by Catesby depicting the American Lotus. Notable are the Bald Eagle as well as the Bobolink, which led Catesby to develop the very first scientifically credible theory of bird migration.
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Mark Catesby's Natural History: An Introduction

Nelson, E. Charles

Elliott, David J.

Bacon, Sylvia W

Arts & Photography

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