Artefact of the month - March 2008
The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle under the command of Captain FitzRoy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836 / edited and superintended by Charles Darwin [and others], 1838 - 1842
To celebrate World Book Day on 6 March we are featuring these volumes describing the animals encountered as the Beagle voyaged around the world from 1832 to 1836. It is particularly timely as soon we will be celebrating 200 years since Darwin’s birth and 150 years since the publication of On the origin of species.
Visitors are often surprised by the number of volumes ZSL Library holds reporting on expeditions and exploration generally. Many new animal species have been reported for the first time in 'expedition literature' hence these volumes make a valuable contribution to the zoological literature and knowledge.
The volumes chosen this month are a selection of interesting reports about the animals collected by Charles Darwin on the voyage of the Beagle. This voyage was a landmark experience in Darwin’s life. In his autobiography he wrote 'the voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life and has determined my whole career'. Following this five year voyage around the world visiting South America and the Galapagos, he never left Britain again. The animals he observed and collected on the Galapagos in particular provided him with evidence for the development of the theory of evolution. In these five volumes many species new to science are described including the Galapagos 'finches' which Darwin used as an example of evolution in On the origin of species.
The five volumes each deal with different animal groups, Darwin edited the volumes but asked various scientists to look at the animals collected in their own particular subject area so each volume is by a different author and illustrated by a variety of artists. Richard Owen described the fossil mammals, George R. Waterhouse the living mammals, Thomas Bell the reptiles and amphibians, John Gould the birds (with an anatomical index by Thomas Campbell Eyton) and Leonard Jenyns the fish.
John Gould who was then employed by the Zoological Society of London looked at the birds collected by Darwin, it was Gould who realised that the Galapagos ‘finches’ belonged to an entirely new group previously unknown to science and found only in the Galapagos islands. It appeared that each different species of finch were restricted to their own particular island.
All ZSL Library’s holdings of published books by and about Charles Darwin are listed in our online catalogue: ZSL library catalogue
Darwin Online is the largest repository of the works of Charles Darwin – a collection of his writings both unpublished and published.