Biodiversity Pics
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Biodiversity Pics
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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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🌲 How to know the wild flowers: .
New York: Scribner's, 1893..

[Source]
Illustration of a Pipsissewa plant (Chimaphila umbellata) from an 1893 book titled "How to Know the Wild Flowers." The plant features a single slender stem with a small cluster of five-petaled flowers at the top. Below, multiple elongated, lance-shaped leaves with serrated edges grow in a whorled pattern around the stem. The detailed botanical drawing highlights leaf texture and flower structure. The image is a black ink line drawing on a beige background, labeled "Plate XXVII" with the scientific and common names below. The illustration relates to pine habitats as Pipsissewa commonly grows in pine forests.
November 16, 2025 at 1:23 AM
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🦢 Abbildungen von Vogel-Skeletten, .
Berlin, [s.n.], 1879-1897..

[Source]
Illustration of a stork (Ciconia alba) skeleton showing a full side view with detailed bones including skull, long neck vertebrae, ribcage, wing bones, pelvis, and long legs with articulated toes. Additional close-up views of the elongated skull and isolated wing bones are displayed on the left. The bones are dark against a beige background, emphasizing the bird's slender structure and characteristic long beak and legs. The image is a scientific anatomical plate from a late 19th-century German publication.
November 15, 2025 at 11:23 PM
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🦇 Fauna japonica, sive, Descriptio animalium, quae in itinere per Japoniam, jussu et auspiciis, superiorum, qui summum in India Batava imperium tenent, suscepto, annis 1823-1830
Lugduni Batavorum: Apud Auctorem, 1833-1850.

[Source]
Illustration of a white heron (Ardea egrettoides) standing on green grass. The bird has a slender, curved neck, black legs, and long, sharp beak with a greenish base fading to brown. Fine feather details are visible, and the heron’s eye is orange with a dark pupil. The background is plain and light, emphasizing the bird. The image is from a historical 19th-century Japanese fauna publication. Despite the keyword reference to "bat," the main subject is clearly a water bird, not a bat.
November 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
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🦒 The handy natural history
Boston, R.G. Badger, The Gorham press, 1910.

[Source]
Illustration of a giraffe standing on a light background with a faintly painted tree and sky in the backdrop. The giraffe features a long neck, patterned with irregular brown spots on a tan body, and four slender legs with dark hooves. Its face shows two ossicones (horn-like structures), large ears, and expressive eyes. The vintage style and muted colors suggest a historical natural history print from the early 20th century. The image is labeled "Plate XXIII" and titled "Giraffe."
November 15, 2025 at 1:23 PM
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🦴 Versuch einer geognostisch-botanischen Darstellung der Flora der Vorwelt
Leipzig undIn Kommission im Deutschen Museum, 1820-1838.

[Source]
Illustration of two fossilized plant impressions on stone slabs, showing detailed, elongated leaf-like patterns with a series of alternating, diamond-shaped nodes and fine parallel lines. The top slab features darker shading with a textured surface, while the bottom slab is lighter with more distinct, raised nodules along the leaf veins. Both specimens highlight the intricate structure of ancient flora, capturing the botanical details preserved in sedimentary rock from the prehistoric era. The drawing is labeled with plate number "Tab. X." and attributed to artists E. Anton Auinger and I. Sturm.
November 15, 2025 at 11:23 AM
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🏖️ The birds of Australia..
London, Printed by R. and J. E. Taylor; pub. by the author, [1840]-48..

[Source]
Illustration of two beach-nesting birds, likely Australian species, clinging to a tree trunk with long, sharp beaks and striking yellow eyes. Both birds have greyish-brown feathers, white markings on their faces, and long yellow legs with strong claws gripping the bark. The background shows grassy vegetation and pale flowers, suggesting a coastal or beach habitat. The detailed, lifelike depiction emphasizes their distinctive curved necks and alert posture. The image is a historical ornithological print from the mid-19th century, highlighting the birds’ natural environment and physical features.
November 15, 2025 at 9:23 AM
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🔎 The Naturalist's Pocket Magazine or compleat cabinet of the curiosities and beauties of nature.
London.

[Source]
Illustration of a White Faced Manakin bird standing on a small grassy patch with green foliage. The bird has a distinctive white face with a crest of feathers, a black beak, and a dark brown and black speckled body. Its legs are thin and reddish, gripping the ground. The image is a historical naturalist drawing, showcasing the bird’s detailed feather patterns and curious appearance, emphasizing its unique features as a natural curiosity. The background is plain, highlighting the bird as the main subject. The illustration is titled and dated with publication details below.
November 15, 2025 at 7:23 AM
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🏝 A history of the fishes of the British Islands
London: G. Bell, 1877-1878.

[Source]
Illustration of a single fish titled "Erythrinus" from the 1877-1878 book "A history of the fishes of the British Islands." The fish is depicted with a rounded body tapering to a forked tail, featuring a gradient color from brown on the dorsal side to a lighter, silvery tone on the ventral side. Detailed scales, large eye, and multiple fins including dorsal, pectoral, and tail fins are visible. The drawing is scientific and precise, set against a plain beige background, emphasizing the fish's anatomy and coloration relevant to the marine fauna around British islands.
November 15, 2025 at 5:23 AM
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🦜 Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des épimaques: .
Paris: A. Bertrand[1835]..

[Source]
Illustration of a bird of paradise perched sideways on a small branch. The bird features a large, rounded, dark blue head with intricate scale-like feather patterns and a prominent, tufted crest. Its neck is bright green with overlapping feather details, transitioning to glossy black and deep blue feathers on the body and long tail. A striking red, curved beak contrasts with the dark colors. The background is plain, emphasizing the bird’s vivid colors and unique head shape, typical of a 19th-century natural history illustration.
November 15, 2025 at 3:23 AM
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🐸 The frog book
New York ;Doubleday, Page, 1907.

[Source]
Historical illustration from "The Frog Book" (1907) showing two black-and-white images: the top image depicts a male Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens Schreber) resting on grass and clover, highlighting its distinctive striped pattern and spotted legs; the bottom image shows the early July border of a pond covered with pickerel weeds and water lilies, providing a natural amphibian habitat where young Leopard Frogs develop. The detailed textures and vegetation emphasize the frog’s camouflage and aquatic environment.
November 15, 2025 at 1:23 AM
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🌲 The White River Badlands
Rapid City, S.D., 1920.

[Source]
Two black-and-white historical photographs from 1900 show geology classes from South Dakota State School of Mines. The top image depicts a group of students gathered outdoors near equipment and a wagon in Indian Creek Basin, surrounded by trees. The lower image shows students at the highest part of the Big Badlands, Sheep Mountain (Cedar Point), gathered under a large cedar tree, some seated on the ground and others standing, engaged in field study. Both images emphasize outdoor geological fieldwork in natural settings characteristic of the White River Badlands region.
November 14, 2025 at 11:23 PM
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🐌 Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière des céphalopodes acétabuifères viants, et fossiles: Paris: Impr. de A. Lacour, 1835-1848.

[Source]
Historical scientific illustration titled "G. Seiche (Sepia) PL. 17" depicting detailed anatomical parts of cuttlefish (cephalopods) from the 1835-1848 work. The image shows various tentacle cross-sections, suckers, and beak structures numbered and labeled, highlighting textures and suction cup arrangements. Central focus is on an open, radial view of the suction cups arranged around the mouth, with additional long tentacle sections and detailed close-ups of sucker rings, ridges, and their serrated inner edges. The illustration is rendered in a sepia tone with fine shading and line work, intended to aid taxonomic study of different sepia species.
November 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
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🌱 Recueil de divers oiseaux étrangers et peu communs
A Nuremberg: Chez les Héritiers de Seligmann, 1768-1776.

[Source]
Historical botanical illustration from 1768-1776 showing a small brown bird clinging to a twisting vine with elongated green-yellow leaves and several pink trumpet-shaped flowers. Below the bird, a large moth with spotted white wings and a blue-yellow striped body rests on one flower. The vine’s tendrils wrap loosely, creating an oval frame around the bird and moth. The illustration is labeled in old German and Latin, including the plant name "Convolvulus Caribienfis," a type of grass-like morning glory vine. The overall style is detailed and naturalistic, typical of 18th-century scientific illustrations.
November 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM
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🐸 Bilder-Atlas zur wissenschaftlich-populären Naturgeschichte der Amphibien in ihren sämmtlichen Hauptformen
Wien: Kaiserl. Koenigl. Hof- und Staatsdr., 1864

[Source]
Illustration of a long, slender amphibian identified as the Malagasy dagger-tooth snake (Xiphorhina Longaula). The body is coiled in an S-shape, showing smooth, scaly skin in brown and yellow tones. Two detailed close-ups of the head display its pointed snout and scale pattern. The drawing emphasizes the snake’s elongated, narrow form and distinctive head shape, highlighting its natural texture and coloration for scientific study.
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 PM
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🦜 Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des épimaques: .
Paris: A. Bertrand[1835]..

[Source]
Illustration of a juvenile male bird of paradise perched on a small branch. The bird features a vibrant orange head and upper body transitioning to bright yellow underparts. Its wings and tail are dark brown with detailed feather shading. A distinctive black patch covers the throat and extends to the face. The bird has a sharp, pointed beak and bright yellow eye. The style is a 19th-century natural history drawing with fine, precise lines and subtle color gradations. The background is plain beige, emphasizing the bird's vivid colors and intricate feather patterns.
November 14, 2025 at 11:23 AM
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🐦 A history of the birds of Europe
London: Groombridge and Sons ..., 1859-1863.

[Source]
Illustration from "A History of the Birds of Europe" (1859-1863) depicting two bird eggs related to warblers. The upper egg, labeled "Olivaceous Warbler," is pale with dark speckles scattered across its surface. The lower egg, labeled "Black-throated Warbler," is more distinctly marked with a pattern of brownish spots concentrated on one side against a lighter background. The eggs are centered on a plain beige background with minimal additional detail, emphasizing the shape and distinctive speckling of each egg. The labels are faintly printed beneath the eggs.
November 14, 2025 at 7:23 AM
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🌲 Annual report
[Albany, N.Y.: The Commission, 1903]-1911

[Source]
Black and white historical photograph showing a dense field of young Norway spruce transplant seedlings at Saranac Nursery, arranged closely together. In the background, a small wooden structure is partially visible among taller trees. The image emphasizes the uniform growth of the spruces from seed, illustrating early forestry cultivation practices. The setting appears natural and wooded, highlighting nursery conditions around 1903-1911.
November 14, 2025 at 5:23 AM
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🔎 The Naturalist's Pocket Magazine or compleat cabinet of the curiosities and beauties of nature.
London.

[Source]
Illustration from an 1800 naturalist magazine showing a skunk-like animal labeled "CHINCHE" standing on a textured rock. The creature has a notably long, bushy tail, black fur on its underside, and white fur with a black stripe along its back and head. Below the rock are green leaves and grass, adding detail to the natural setting. The engraving style and aged paper reflect early scientific curiosity about unique wildlife.
November 14, 2025 at 3:23 AM
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🦦 Synopsis of quadrupeds
Chester: Printed by J. Monk, MDCCLXXI [1771]

[Source]
Historical black-and-white illustration from 1771 showing two quadrupeds. The top animal, labeled "Opossum No.144," has a pointed snout, small rounded ears, dense fur, large clawed feet, and a long curled tail. The bottom animal, labeled "Lesser Otter No.174," has a streamlined body, short legs, dense fur, a long tail, and a more elongated snout. Both animals are depicted walking on textured ground, with fine line shading emphasizing fur texture and body shapes. The illustration is part of a natural history compilation titled "Synopsis of quadrupeds."
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
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🌳 Curtis's botanical magazine..
London ; New York [etc.]: Academic Press [etc.].

[Source]
Historical botanical illustration of a magnolia plant featuring a large white flower with multiple broad petals, a dark brown closed bud, and two large green leaves with pronounced veins. Several smaller detailed sketches highlight the plant’s reproductive parts and seed structure. In the background, there is a finely drawn small magnolia tree showing overall plant form and leaf shape. The illustration combines color and pencil shading to emphasize textures and botanical details.
November 13, 2025 at 9:23 PM
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🦊 Currie's bulbs and plants: .
Milwaukee, Wis.: Currie Bros., 1913..

[Source]
Black and white historical catalog page from Currie Bros., 1913, titled "Currie's bulbs and plants." It features three photographic illustrations of plants: tall spiked Delphinium (Larkspur) flowers on the left, a close-up of Digitalis (Foxglove) flowers with tubular, bell-shaped blossoms on the top right, and a Gaillardia flower with a large, dark center surrounded by radiating petals on the bottom right. The page includes detailed descriptions and prices for various plants, emphasizing the foxglove’s preference for partial shade and its price of 25 cents each or $2.50 per dozen.
November 13, 2025 at 1:23 PM
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🌴 A second century of ferns
London: Dulau, 1864.

[Source]
Illustration of a fern frond from "A second century of ferns" (1864), showing a detailed, colored depiction of a Pteridophyta stem and its delicate, finely divided green leaflets. The main frond extends vertically with a curled tip. Two smaller black-and-white botanical sketches are included: a close-up of a single leaflet's base and a spore-bearing structure, highlighting fern anatomy. The illustration emphasizes the intricate texture and branching pattern characteristic of ferns. The background is plain cream, focusing attention on the plant's form and structure, representative of 19th-century botanical art.
November 13, 2025 at 11:23 AM
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🐅 The quadrupeds of North America, .
New York, V.G. Audubon, 1851-54..

[Source]
Illustration from "The Quadrupeds of North America" (1851-54) depicting a cougar standing over a captured black animal, possibly a wild boar, which has blood-tipped tusks visible. The cougar is shown in profile with a muscular, tawny body, large paws, and a long, curved tail. Its intense gaze is directed forward, suggesting alertness. The background features a natural landscape with trees and distant mountains, rendered in soft, muted tones, emphasizing the predator-prey interaction in a wilderness setting. The style is detailed and realistic, typical of Audubon's natural history illustrations.
November 13, 2025 at 9:23 AM
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👩‍🌾 L'Illustration horticole: Gand, Belgium: Imprimerie et lithographie de F. et E. Gyselnyck, 1854-1896.

[Source]
Illustration of the fern species Adiantum lunulatum var. celebicum. The image combines a detailed black-and-white line drawing of the plant's full fronds with a vivid green, colorized close-up of a single segmented leaf on the left, showing its fan-shaped leaflets with delicate veins. The fern's characteristic slender, arching fronds with small, crescent-shaped leaf segments are clearly depicted on an off-white background. The illustration is from a 19th-century Belgian horticultural publication, emphasizing botanical accuracy and ornamental plant features.
November 13, 2025 at 7:23 AM
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🐵 Biologia Centrali-Americana: .
[London: Published for the editors by R. H. Porter], 1879-1915.

[Source]
Illustration of a Mycetes villosus monkey, a black-furred primate with a long, curled tail. It is shown walking on a thick tree branch, with detailed fur texture and a contemplative expression. Surrounding the branch are green leaves lightly sketched, giving a natural habitat context. The image is a scientific drawing from the historic "Biologia Centrali-Americana" publication, dated between 1879 and 1915.
November 13, 2025 at 5:23 AM