Rideaux John Selby

Red Breasted Merganser

22 x 16 inches

A large-scale etching in original hand colour, drawn and etched by P. J. Selby and published in London between 1819 and 1834.

There is something very endearing about this image of a red breasted merganser as it gently paddles through the water. The ruddy chest indicates its gender as it is only the male who displays this plumage and even then, only in the mating season. The serrated bill reminds us that this bird feeds by diving down into the sea to catch fish. It is the only bird of its genus to divide its time between inland rivers and the sea. Its magnificent emerald head and striking yellow eye make it one of the most attractive ducks to be found on the British Isles.

P. J. Selby (1788-1867) was an exceptional ornithologist from Northumberland whose major work, Illustrations of British Ornithology, from which these prints are taken, was published in London between 1819 and 1834. The work is striking, not least for its size (comparable to the work of Audubon, for whom Lizars also worked); it has been described as containing ''some of the best figures of British birds that have ever been published'' and indeed ''the finest copper engravings to be found in any ornithological work''.

£750