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These beautifully hand-drawn birds were taken from two books by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby: Beautiful Birds in Far-off Lands and Birds of Gay Plumage. They were successful writers and illustrators of books for children in the natural sciences. These beautifully illustrated works effectively use the chromolithography technique to reproduce some of nature’s most brilliant jewel birds. I love these drawings, and they convey such a sense of wonder.
1. Malacca Parakeet & Gould Sun Bird
2. Resplendent Trogon & Ceylonese Sun Bird
3. Blue and yellow Maccaw
4. The red and the king birds of paradise
5. Resplendent Trogon and Ceylonese Sun Bird
6. The Peruvian Coquette and Crimson Topaz
7. Blue-bellied Parakeet and pale headed Parrot
8. Goulds Corquette and the marvellous Humming Bird
9. Emerald Bird of Paradise and Blue-Headed Tanager
10. Humming Birds
11. Paradise Flycatcher and Red Tailed Sun-Bird
12. Mexican Trogon and Brazilian Bell Bird
13. Tri-colour Crested Cockatoo and Lovebird
14. Ring Parakeet and Sulphur Crested Parakeet
15. The Phaon Comet and Chimborazian Bill Star
