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Colour plate of New Zealand tree Alectryon excelsus Gaertn., “Titoki”, Sapindaceae (1889) by Sarah Featon (1848-1927).
http://jardimformoso.blogspot.com/2009/03/sarah-featon-new-zealand-flora.html.
Wikimedia.
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White’s Physiological Manikin, James T. White & Co., New York, 1889
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Accipitres competing over carrion.
Of course none of these birds would be found in the same part of the world, but this is an excellent comparison between the Old World vultures and the New World vultures. The Egyptian vulture and Griffon vultures are considered Old World vultures, as is the Lammergeier. However, the Lammergeier is not closely related to the other Old World vultures, aside from the Egyptian vulture.
New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but are superficially similar (they look alike). New World vultures (such as the California condor and turkey vulture) have an excellent sense of smell, and are often the first scavenger at the scene of the death. These are the ones that are popularly depicted as circling overhead when someone or something is dying. Old World vultures have a poor sense of smell, but good eyesight, and tend to follow other birds to carcasses, then fight them away from it.
Natural History of the Animal Kingdom for the Use of Young People. W. F. Kirby, 1889.
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Titmice and Swallows
The “Goatsucker” (Nightjar) in the middle of the bottom row of birds is now known to not be a passerine (perching bird), but to be in a class of ground-nesters, with the frogmouths. They’re much more closely related to owls than to swallows or martins.
Natural History of the Animal Kingdom for the Use Of Young People. W. F. Kirby, 1889.
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Snake Skeleton
In Victorian-era households on both sides of the Atlantic, it was considered to be very erudite to have a curio cabinet of insects, animals, and archaeological specimens.
The classiest of these cabinets often included a snake skeleton, a bisected nautilus shell, brightly-colored butterflies mounted either in a classical case or upon a branch (as if still alive), and Egyptian trinkets. Of course, there were many other coveted specimens and baubles, but throughout that entire period, large complete snake skeletons were considered respected additions to any curio cabinet.
Natural History of the Animal Kingdom for the Use of Young People. W. F. Kirby, 1889.
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Axolotl - Larval and Adult
The larval form of the axolotl is the form we’ve all seen in aquariums. The adult form is very rarely seen in captivity, and axolotls can only be reliably induced to metamorphose with injections of thyroxine hormone or iodine.
In the wild, larval axolotls still display neoteny (the reaching of sexual maturity without metamorphosis, in species that “normally” metamorphose), though adult forms were found in almost equal proportion. These days, axolotls are almost extinct in the wild.
Natural History of the Animal Kingdom for the Use of Young People. W.F. Kirby, 1889.
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(via Smithsonian Libraries: Pretty Pictures and a Tour Through the Libraries)
Résultats des campagnes scientifiques accomplies sur son yacht, 1889-, Mastigoteuthis magna Joubin (Oceanic squid)
