Science Saturday
This week we are looking at another book from our sibling department, the American Geographical Society Library, a premier geography research library at UW–Milwaukee. The book is:
The Zoology of Captain Beechey's Voyage; Compiled from the Collections and Notes Made by Captain Beechey, the Officers and Naturalist of the Expedition, During a Voyage to the Pacific and Behring's Straits Performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom, Under the Command of Captain F.W. Beechey ... in the years 1825, 26, 27 and 28.
It was published in London in 1839 by H.G. Bohn and edited by Frederick William Beechey, an English naval officer, artist, explorer, and writer. Captain Beechey wrote in the introduction:
“From the nature of the voyage it was not practicable to retain the ship long at any one place, and her stay was sometimes limited to a few days only. It cannot therefore be expected that under these circumstances we should have been able to collect a series of specimens illustrative of natural history of any particular place; but we have had the good fortune to bring together a variety of rare specimens from distant localities, some of which have been but seldom, if ever, visited by any collector.”
The written portion of the book includes contributions on various branches of zoology from Sir John Richardson, Nicholas Aylward Vigors, George Tradescant Lay, Edward Tunner Bennet, John Edward Gray, George Brettingham Sowerby, William Buckland, Sir Edward Belcher, and Alexander Collie. These observations were based on the specimens brought back from the voyage. Captain Beechey had some choice words about John Edward Gray who was tasked with writing about the shells (Mollusca) because it appears that he held up the production of the book. Beechey wrote “the publication has suffered so much by delay in consequence of his having been connected with it, that it is a matter of the greatest regret to me that I ever acceded to his offer to engage with it.” Drama!
There are fifty hand-colored illustrations by James De Carle Sowerby (son of naturalist James Sowerby and brother of George Brettingham Sowerby) and noted natural history illustrator, author, and poet Edward Lear.
A digitized version of The Zoology of Captain Beechey's Voyage is available to browse online through the Biodiversity Heritage Library here.
Or if you’re local you can see this book in-person at the American Geographical Society Library!
View other Science Saturday posts.
–Sarah, Special Collections Senior Graduate Intern
