Posts tagged john gould

Thaumalia amherstiae [now Chrysolophus amherstiae] - Lady Amherst’s Pheasant Despite the flashy appearance and elegant tail that look like they would stick out anywhere, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant does a remarkably good job at blending in with the underbrush of its native rainforest habitat, in Myanmar and China. Though not endangered, they are rarely seen in the wild. Birds of Asia. John Gould, 1850-86.

Thaumalia amherstiae [now Chrysolophus amherstiae] - Lady Amherst’s Pheasant

Despite the flashy appearance and elegant tail that look like they would stick out anywhere, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant does a remarkably good job at blending in with the underbrush of its native rainforest habitat, in Myanmar and China. Though not endangered, they are rarely seen in the wild.

Birds of Asia. John Gould, 1850-86.

Pitohui variable (now Pitohui kirhocephalus) - The Variable Pitohui Though all pitohuis have been found to have at least some level of toxin in them, the variable pitohui and hooded pitohui have by far the highest and most consistent levels of it, both in their bodies and throughout their feathers. The toxins carried by the pitohuis aren’t actually produced by them - like the Columbian poison dart frog, they acquire the toxin from their food sources. Actually, the chemical makeup of their toxin is almost identical to that of the poison dart frogs. They secrete neurotoxic alkaloid compounds known as batrachotoxins. These toxins are lipophilic, and can permeate unbroken skin. They bind to nerve cells, and basically “break” them - they open up the sodium channels in the cells (permanently depolarizing them) so that the nerves can no longer fire, and a flaccid paralysis ensues. Bizarrely, the tetrodotoxin of the pufferfish may be a possible “treatment” for batrachotoxin-induced paralysis. Tetrodotoxin is non-competitive with batrachotoxin (meaning it wouldn’t be trying to bind to the same part of the cell, and wouldn’t have to remove the batrachotoxin first), and causes an extreme tetanic (stiff) paralysis, because it causes nerve cells to enter a state where they’re permanently firing and can’t stop. Well, toxin or not, no deaths due to the pitohui have ever been recorded. The Papuan natives see pitohuis as “rubbish birds” because of their toxins, and avoid hunting them. Surely a few natives or explorers have died eating them in the past, but they aren’t an active threat to anyone. The birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan Islands. R. Bowdler Sharpe and John Gould, 1875-1888.

Pitohui variable (now Pitohui kirhocephalus) - The Variable Pitohui

Though all pitohuis have been found to have at least some level of toxin in them, the variable pitohui and hooded pitohui have by far the highest and most consistent levels of it, both in their bodies and throughout their feathers.

The toxins carried by the pitohuis aren’t actually produced by them - like the Columbian poison dart frog, they acquire the toxin from their food sources. Actually, the chemical makeup of their toxin is almost identical to that of the poison dart frogs. They secrete neurotoxic alkaloid compounds known as batrachotoxins. These toxins are lipophilic, and can permeate unbroken skin. They bind to nerve cells, and basically “break” them - they open up the sodium channels in the cells (permanently depolarizing them) so that the nerves can no longer fire, and a flaccid paralysis ensues.

Bizarrely, the tetrodotoxin of the pufferfish may be a possible “treatment” for batrachotoxin-induced paralysis. Tetrodotoxin is non-competitive with batrachotoxin (meaning it wouldn’t be trying to bind to the same part of the cell, and wouldn’t have to remove the batrachotoxin first), and causes an extreme tetanic (stiff) paralysis, because it causes nerve cells to enter a state where they’re permanently firing and can’t stop.

Well, toxin or not, no deaths due to the pitohui have ever been recorded. The Papuan natives see pitohuis as “rubbish birds” because of their toxins, and avoid hunting them. Surely a few natives or explorers have died eating them in the past, but they aren’t an active threat to anyone.

The birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan Islands. R. Bowdler Sharpe and John Gould, 1875-1888.

pictures of swallows? — Asked by Anonymous

Y’know, I read this, figured “oh, yeah, I have tons of birds, I’m sure I have a bunch of swallows/martins in one of those books”

Boy, was I ever wrong. But after looking through my entire natural history folder, I remembered that I still had John Gould’s plates in a separate folder, and HE certainly had swallows. Gould saves the day! Or something like that.  Here’s one for now. I have a few more for later.

Hirundo fluvicola - Indian Cliff Swallow - Birds of Asia, John Gould, 1850.

rhamphotheca: The Yellow-breasted Racket-tail (Prioniturus flavicans) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, the natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This species is threatened by habitat loss. (via: Wikipedia) illustration by John Gould (1804–1881)

rhamphotheca:

The Yellow-breasted Racket-tail (Prioniturus flavicans) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, the natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This species is threatened by habitat loss. (via: Wikipedia)

illustration by John Gould (1804–1881)

Black-Bellied Tern.

Black-Bellied Tern.

It’s a bird sort of day.

You call it lazy, I call it a celebration of the inspirational husband/wife team of John and Elizabeth Gould.

Even though Elizabeth died before her husband did his work on mammals and before his works were mentioned by Darwin, she was a major part of John Gould’s observations and research. Over 600 of the lithographs in John Gould’s work were Elizabeth’s art, including the newly-classified (by her husband) finches that Charles Darwin gave to the Goulds for classification input, and later used to both develop his theory of natural selection and illustrate his concepts in On the Origin of Species. Even though John Gould is mentioned as a direct influence by Darwin and Elizabeth was not (subsequently allowing her work to be almost completely eclipsed by her husband’s), his wife’s work was still important, lovely, and generated a lot of public interest in birds both domestic and foreign.

Edward Lear did the mammalian lithographs and a few bird lithographs (the post-1841 works), but all of the pre-1841 birds (the majority of them) were Elizabeth’s work.

So yeah. Birds today. And keep Elizabeth’s hard and skilled work in mind. She did all this in the middle of taking care of 8 children (she had no nanny while in Australia with her 4 oldest children, who were quite young at the time). She was one awesome possum.

John Gould, 1840

Elizabeth Gould with Australian cockatiel, memorial oil painting, produced shortly after her death

Ruddy Turnstone.

Ruddy Turnstone.

Rufous-vented Yuhina.

Rufous-vented Yuhina.

How about a few birdies while I write the next post? Birds are pretty. Look at the pretty birds.  All upcoming illustrations by the inimitable John Gould. All drawn between 1836 and the 1860s. This is Temminck’s Tragopan.

How about a few birdies while I write the next post? Birds are pretty. Look at the pretty birds. 

All upcoming illustrations by the inimitable John Gould.

All drawn between 1836 and the 1860s.

This is Temminck’s Tragopan.

Marvelous Spatuletail and Aechmea mertensii [current correct binomial for Aechmea mucroniflora] - a bromeliad from the rainforests of South America, specifically Columbia Loddigesia mirabilis and Aechmea mucroniflora, John Gould - ca. 1840

Marvelous Spatuletail and Aechmea mertensii [current correct binomial for Aechmea mucroniflora] - a bromeliad from the rainforests of South America, specifically Columbia

Loddigesia mirabilis and Aechmea mucroniflora, John Gould - ca. 1840

Blood Pheasants, Ithaginis cruentus, from Nepal and the surrounding areas. Lives at low elevations, unlike some Himalayan birds. Generally does not make its home above 5000 feet above sea level. A Century of Birds from the Himalayas. John Gould, 1832.

Blood Pheasants, Ithaginis cruentus, from Nepal and the surrounding areas. Lives at low elevations, unlike some Himalayan birds. Generally does not make its home above 5000 feet above sea level.

A Century of Birds from the Himalayas. John Gould, 1832.

Oriental Bay Owl. Relative of the barn owl. Birds of Asia. John Gould, 1850.

Oriental Bay Owl. Relative of the barn owl.

Birds of Asia. John Gould, 1850.

Tragopan satyra, the Satyr or Crimson Tragopan. Also known as Crimson-Horned Pheasant. A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. John Gould, 1832.

Tragopan satyra, the Satyr or Crimson Tragopan. Also known as Crimson-Horned Pheasant.

A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. John Gould, 1832.