Synopsis
A Descriptive Catalogue Of The Raptorial Birds In The Norfolk And Norwich Museum, Part 1 by John Henry Gurney. This volume forms the first portion of a longer catalogue of birds of prey in the Norfolk and Norwich Museum, compiled by John Henry Gurney and published in 1864. It surveys the Serpentine family (Serpentariidae), the Gymnogenes group (Polyboroidae), and the early Vulturidae, presenting an arrangement by natural affinities, synonymy, and locality. The text provides careful notes on species and subspecies, their distribution across Africa, the Americas, and Eurasia, and, where known, their habits, diet, nidification, and plumage details. The author records the specimens housed by the Norwich Museum, donors, and collectors, with catalog numbers, and often references to plates and eggs illustrating appearance. It also includes remarks on skeletal structure, behavior, and geographic variation, citing authorities such as Le Vaillant, Verreaux, Darwin, Ayres, and Brehm. Aimed at visitors and students, the work emphasizes accuracy and systematic ordering, laying a foundation for future volumes. The 1864 publication by John Van Voorst in London and Norwich is the initial installment of a broader series.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.