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Biodiversity Pics

@biodiversitypix.bsky.social

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The Biodiversity Heritage Library contains thousands of historical illustrations of flora and fauna. This unaffiliated bot shares random images from the collection.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 37m

🐄 Lindenia: .
Gand [Belgium]: Impr. F. Meyer-van Loo, 1885-1906..

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Historical botanical illustration of Cattleya lawrenceana, an orchid species, showing several large pink flowers with ruffled petals and deep red centers atop thick green and gray pseudobulbs. Broad, glossy green leaves emerge from the base, with visible white roots spreading below. The detailed print highlights the plant’s vibrant colors and textures in a naturalistic style typical of 19th-century botanical art. The image is titled "Lindenia," published in Ghent, Belgium, between 1885 and 1906, and is related to the keyword "cattle," referencing the orchid’s genus name rather than livestock.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2h

🪱 The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: .
London: Printed for B. White, 1771..

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Historical illustration from 1771 showing a large brown centipede partially underground beneath a leafy plant with broad, serrated green leaves and small yellowish flowers. The centipede’s segmented body and many legs are visible, emphasizing its length and detail. The plant has multiple stems and veined leaves, with fine root structures near the surface. The background is plain, focusing attention on the natural interaction between the centipede and the plant. The illustration highlights the centipede's habitat and anatomical features in a scientific botanical context.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 6h

🥗 A handy-book to the collection and preparation of freshwater and marine Algae, diatoms, desmids, Fungi, lichens, mosses and other of the lower Crytogamia
London, R. Hardwicke, 1867.

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Historical scientific illustration titled "Plate VI" from an 1867 book on algae. It depicts two detailed line drawings of diatoms: 27, Isthmia enervis, shown as a large, elongated, asymmetrical rectangular form with a curved base and intricate internal patterns of small cells and dots; and 28, Amphitetras antediluviana, shown as a chain of five connected square-shaped diatom cells, each with a patterned surface and small nodules at the corners. The drawing focuses on the structural details characteristic of these freshwater and marine algae species.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 8h

🧠 Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during the voyage of H.M.S. 'Alert' 1881-2.
London: Printed by order of the Trustees, 1884.

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Illustration from an 1884 report on zoological collections in the Indo-Pacific by H.M.S. "Alert," showing detailed, labeled pencil sketches of three crab species: Euxanthus tuberculosus (A), Hypoecius punctatus (B), and Banareia inconspicua (C). The drawing highlights the crabs’ carapaces, claws, and leg structures with close-up views of their distinctive textures and anatomical features, such as tubercles and spines. The image reflects 19th-century scientific documentation methods linked to Darwinian natural history and species classification during exploratory voyages.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 12h

🔭 The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836
London: Published by Smith, Elder and Co., 65 Cornhill, 1839-1843.

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Illustration of a Limnornis curvirostris bird perched on a leafy green branch. The bird has a slender, curved beak, prominent eye stripe, and brown and white plumage with layered feathers on its wings and tail. The detailed drawing highlights the bird's natural posture and feather texture, typical of 19th-century scientific expedition artwork documenting wildlife from the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle (1832-1836). The background is plain, emphasizing the bird and branch.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 14h

🐘 Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur /.
Erlangen: Expedition des Schreber'schen säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes [etc., 1774]-1846..

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Historical illustration depicting a full-body side view of a tapir labeled "Tapirus villosus Wagn." The tapir has a stocky body with short legs, a rounded back, small ears, and a distinctive short, flexible snout. Surrounding the tapir are detailed scientific drawings of four different skulls labeled "Tapirus villosus," "Palaeotherium," "Tapirus bicolor," and "Tapirus Suillus," showing variations in skull shape and teeth arrangement. The image combines anatomical and zoological study typical of 18th-19th century natural history works.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 16h

🐔 The Cambridge British flora /
Cambridge: University Press ;1914-

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Illustration of Stellaria media, commonly known as Common Chickweed, showing two slender stems with opposite oval leaves and small, delicate flowers at the top. Additional detailed sketches highlight flower parts, including petals and reproductive structures. The botanical drawing is labeled "Plate 56" and includes the artist’s signature. The image is monochrome, with fine line work emphasizing the plant’s delicate features.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 22h

🦒 Animal life and the world of nature: .
London: Hutchinson, 1902-1904..

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Illustration of a female giraffe from Lake Baringo, depicted lowering her long neck to graze on grass. The giraffe shows distinctive irregular brown patches on a pale tan background, with slender legs and a tufted tail. The background includes muted greenery and a soft sky, emphasizing the natural habitat. The artwork is a colored painting by J. Smit, featured in the British Natural History Museum collection around 1902-1904.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🦏 Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur /.
Erlangen: Expedition des Schreber'schen säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes [etc., 1774]-1846..

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Illustration of a one-horned rhinoceros standing on a small grassy island surrounded by water. The rhino has thick, segmented armor-like skin with distinct folds, a single prominent horn on its snout, and a rounded body with short, sturdy legs. Behind the rhinoceros, tropical plants with broad leaves and spiky fronds provide a natural backdrop. The image is labeled "Rhinoceros unicornis L." and features fine detailing typical of 18th-19th century scientific illustrations.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🎣 Monographie der Medusen
Jena: G. Fischer, 1879-1881.

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Historical scientific illustration titled "Periphema Regina" from "Monographie der Medusen," depicting detailed anatomical studies of a deep-sea jellyfish species. The image shows various magnified sections of the jellyfish’s structure, including cellular arrangements, tissue layers, and reproductive elements. Drawings highlight complex textures and shapes such as coiled formations, bulbous cellular clusters, and layered membranes, with all parts labeled meticulously. The style is precise and finely detailed, typical of 19th-century natural history lithographs, aiming to visually explain the jellyfish’s internal and external morphology for scientific study during the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger expedition.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🐘 The naturalist's miscellany, or Coloured figures of natural objects.
London: Printed for Nodder & Co., 1789-1813.

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Illustration from "The naturalist's miscellany" (1789-1813) depicting a large, curled snake with a thick, spotted body and a small, rounded head. The snake is positioned on the ground next to patches of green foliage and grass. The image is unrelated to elephants despite the keyword, focusing instead on the detailed texture and pattern of the snake’s skin and its coiled posture in a naturalistic setting.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🦆 La galerie des oiseaux
Paris, Constant-Chantpie, 1825-1826.

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Historic illustration from "La galerie des oiseaux" (1825-1826) showing a full-body side view of an ostrich labeled "L'Autruche chameau, Struthio camelus." The tall, large bird stands on a shadowed patch of ground, featuring a long neck with subtle pinkish skin and sparse feathers near the head. Its body is covered in detailed black and white feathers, with the plumage on its back and tail depicted in layered, textured strokes. The ostrich's strong, long legs show visible scales and joints, capturing its characteristic height and structure. The image presents the bird in a naturalistic, scientific style typical of 19th-century ornithological art.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🍒 The birds of Singapore Island..
Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Office by W. T. Cherry, Govt. Printer, 1927..

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Historical illustration titled "The birds of Singapore Island" depicting two Malayan Pygmy Woodpeckers (Dryobates nanus auritus) perched on the branches of a tree. The birds are shown with detailed brown and white striped plumage and distinct facial markings. One woodpecker clings vertically to the trunk looking upward, while the other is positioned on a lower branch with wings slightly spread. The background features muted green foliage, emphasizing the birds. The image is signed by artist G. A. Levett-Yeats and printed by W. T. Cherry, Govt. Printer, in 1927.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🌻 Kinpaen gafu
[place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified]], [after 1820 before 1912]

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Historical botanical illustration from "Kinpaen gafu," showing two branches with clusters of small, rounded flowers and large green leaves. The artwork uses delicate black outlines and subtle green and white coloring, capturing the texture and shape of the leaves and flower clusters across two pages of a traditional book.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🦄 Whales /.
Edinburgh: W.H. Lizars, 1843..

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Illustration of two narwhals, also called sea unicorns, depicted lying on an icy shore with a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Both whales have long, spiral tusks extending from their heads, and their bodies are covered in spots. Small seabirds are flying nearby. The image is a detailed 1843 engraving, labeled "THE NARWHAL OR SEA UNICORN," highlighting the narwhal’s distinctive single tusk that inspired its nickname.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🐒 The book of the animal kingdom..
London, J. M. Dent & sons, ltd.;1910..

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Illustration of a mandrill sitting on rocky ground, holding a thin branch in its right hand. The primate has distinctive colorful facial features including a bright red nose, blue ridges on the sides of the nose, and a white beard-like tuft of fur around the mouth. Its fur is brown and dense, with a muscular body posture. The background shows a muted landscape with an orange, pink, and gray sky, suggesting sunset or sunrise. The image is a detailed, naturalistic drawing from a 1910 scientific book titled "The Book of the Animal Kingdom," signed by the artist W.S. Berridge.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🌳 Chase fruit and flowers in natural colors
Rochester, N.Y., Chase brothers company[c1922]

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Historical illustration of a lush Hydrangea Arborescens shrub, also known as Snowball Hydrangea or Hills of Snow, in full bloom with clusters of large, round white flowers. The shrub is dense with broad green leaves and sits on a well-kept lawn near a sidewalk, with trees and a red-brick house in the background. Noted for blooming later than most spring shrubs, it is considered one of the finest hardy American shrubs. The image reflects natural colors and early 20th-century landscaping aesthetics.

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🥚 The birds of the British Isles and their eggs.
London ;F. Warne, 1920.

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Historical illustration from 1920 titled "The birds of the British Isles and their eggs," featuring two species. The top depicts two Razorbills with dark brown upperparts and white underparts, resting among grass and cotton-like flowers. The bottom shows a Richardson's Skua standing on a rock, dark brown with white belly, and a group of similar birds in the background on cliffs. Both birds are detailed with natural coloring and realistic postures, highlighting their typical habitats. The image serves as an educational depiction related to British bird species and their eggs.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🦎 The birds of eastern North America: .
Newtonville, Mass.: C.J. Maynard & co., 1896..

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Illustration from 1896 showing a small bird perched on a slender branch with clusters of delicate, reddish buds. The bird has a light yellowish-beige belly, olive-brown back, and two distinct white wing bars. It faces right with a short, straight beak and dark eye. The background is a soft, pale blue wash, highlighting the bird and branch detail. The image is titled "The birds of eastern North America." Despite the keyword "newt," the main subject is the bird, depicted with fine, naturalistic detail typical of 19th-century natural history illustrations.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

💐 Leaves from the book of nature, Edinburgh: W.H. Lizars;[184-?]

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Illustration titled "Leaves from the Book of Nature" showing various species of British butterflies arranged in clusters, each group perched on delicately sketched garden plants. Butterflies display diverse wing patterns and colors, including orange, brown, black, white, blue, and red hues. The detailed artwork combines hand-colored butterflies with fine line drawings of botanical elements, capturing the natural garden habitat. The page includes text identifying the butterflies and publisher information at the bottom. This vintage print highlights the beauty and variety of butterflies commonly found in British gardens.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

🙊 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London..
London: Academic Press, [etc.], 1833-1965..

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Illustration of a mongoose labeled "Herpestes Smithii," showing a sleek, elongated body covered in reddish-brown fur with small orange and black spots. The mongoose is depicted in a naturalistic setting, resting on a rock surrounded by green and brown foliage and grasses. Its tail is long and bushy, curling slightly at the end. The animal’s head is low, with visible yellow eyes and small rounded ears. The background features subtle shading and sparse vegetation, emphasizing the mongoose as the central focus of the image. The illustration style is detailed and textured, typical of 19th-century zoological publications.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

🏞️ Notes of a botanist on the Amazon & Andes
London, Macmillan and co., limited, 1908.

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Black and white historical illustration titled "Rapids of Maypures" showing a river flowing rapidly through a rocky valley. Large boulders and jagged rocks dominate the riverbed, creating turbulent currents. On the riverbanks, dense foliage and overhanging trees are visible. The sky is partly cloudy, suggesting a natural, wild setting in the Amazon and Andes region. The scene captures the raw power of the river cutting through the mountainous terrain.

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

🐦 The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: .
London: Printed for B. White, 1771..

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

🐚 Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes
Paris: Chez Rousseau: [1834-1880]

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Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 2d

🍎 La flore et la pomone francaises
Paris: Chez l'auteur, rue Furstemberg, 1828-1833.

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Fruit illustration from historical archives

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