File:The birds of Europe (1837) (14750706275).jpg

Identifier: birdsEuropeVGoul (find matches)
Title: The birds of Europe
Year: 1837 (1830s)
Authors: Gould, John, 1804-1881
Subjects: Pictorial works Birds
Publisher: London, Printed by R. and J.E. Taylor, pub. by the author
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
art of the neck being white, more or less spotted withblackish grey ; the upper surface of a nearly uniform brown, the white spots on the tips of the feathersbecoming less distinct or entirely disappearing; and by the under surface becoming whiter. The third years, by the white increasing all over the body; the scapulars and tertials remaining black orspotted with blackish grey. The fourth years, or fully adult plumage, is characterized by the crown of the head, occiput, and upperpart of the neck being pale yellow; all the remaining plumage pure white, with the exception of the quillsand bastard wing, which are black ; bill bluish grey, fading into white at the tip; naked skin round theeyes greyish blue; membrane at the gape and beneath the throat black; irides pale yellow; streak down thefront of the tarsi and toes bluish green ; webs blackish grey; claws greyish white. The Plate represents a fully adult bird, and a young one of the first year, about three fourths of the naturalsize.
Text Appearing After Image:
BLACK-TAILED GANNET. Sula melanura, Temm. We are indebted to the kindness of M. Temminck for the loan of the fine specimen of this bird from whichthe accompanying figure was taken, and which he informed us was killed in Iceland. In every respect, exceptin having a black tail, it resembles the Solan Gannet, Sula Bassana, which bird when fully adult has a white tail.Whether this difference be an accidental variation, or if not, whether the difference is of sufficient importanceto justify a specific distinction, we are unable satisfactorily to decide. M. Temminck regards it, we believe,as a true species, and as such we publish it, leaving the question still open for further investigation : at allevents it will not be destitute of interest to the scientific naturalist. It may perhaps be said that as the Gan-nets change from almost black to white in passing from youth to maturity, this bird exhibits an intermediatestate of plumage, the original black colouring still remaining on the tail :

Note About Images