A small double headed snake from the Island of Barbados

George Edwards ( 1694 – 1773 ) is often considered to be the father of British ornithology, although his work included descriptions and illustrations of many exotic species as well as natives of Britain. He was naturally gifted as a scientist and draughtsman, and he was also fortunate in attracting the friendship of men such as Sir Hans Sloane and Mark Catesby. For many years he made drawings of animals for Sloane, and when he began to consider writing and illustrating his own book birds, Catesby taught him the technique of engraving, as he himself says in his introduction to Gleanings of Natural History”. We are proud to offer this engraving by George Edwards. Original engravings by him are extremely difficult to obtain.

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