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Mark Catesby (1683-1749)
During an extended stay with relatives in Virginia, the young Englishman Mark Catesby made a survey of the flora and fauna he encountered--collecting live plants and animals for patrons back home. Returning to London in 1719, he brought back drawings of "curiosities" not seen before by English naturalists. He received a stipend from the Royal Society to return to America and produce an illustrated natural history. Catesby thought he had described all of the bird species in his 109 drawings. He became adept at field observation and made careful notations on plumage, diet and migratory habits. He returned to England in 1726 and spent 17 years preparing his notes for publication. He learned to etch his own plates, ultimately numbering 220, and colored the early issues himself.
