The Birds of Australia, Vol. 2 of 7

by John Gould

"The Birds of Australia, Vol. 2 of 7" by John Gould is a natural history survey published between 1840 and 1848. This groundbreaking work presents the first comprehensive documentation of Australian birds, describing 681 species through hand-colored lithographic plates. Created after Gould's two-year collecting expedition to Australia with his wife Elizabeth, the book introduced 328 species previously unknown to Western science. The plates combine Elizabeth Gould's original drawings with contributions from other artists, capturing the remarkable diversity of Australia's avian life.