Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.20632

    Burbot and wels catfish

    Date
    1686
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Library reference
    18574
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 365mm
    width (page): 230mm
    Subject
    Content object
    nature
       > animal
          > fish
    Description
    Ichthyological study of a species of burbot, here styled Mustela flaviatilis [top], and a wels catfish, here styled Silurus and under the common name ‘The Sheat-fish’ [bottom].

    Printed inscription: ‘1. Rutten et Treischen Salv./ 2. Silurus i.e. Glanis Salv./ Tab: H.5. Sumbtibus Walteri Mills M:D: e: S:R.’ with further handwritten annotation: ‘[2] The sheat-fish, The River Whale, Grew/ 1. Mustela fluviatilis affinis & non idom suspicor potius hune poscum asie mustelam lacustrem majorem.’ Numbered ‘46’ in the top right-hand corner.

    Plate H:5 from De historia piscium libri quatuor, by Francis Willughby and John Ray (Oxford, 1686).

    Francis Willughby (1635-1672), British naturalist, was an Original Fellow of the Royal Society.

    John Ray (1627-1705), British naturalist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1667.

    Walter Mills (1654-1726), English physician, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1682.
    Object history
    The Historia Piscium, a work begun by Francis Willughby (1635–1672), completed by John Ray (1627–1705), was the first comprehensive book of ichthyology. It consists of two parts, the text and illustrations, which were printed separately but frequently bound together. For both parts, Ray drew heavily on works by others, including Hippolytus Salviani (1514-1572), Guillaume Rondelet (1507-1566), Conrad Gessner (1516-1565), Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605) and more.

    The Royal Society was responsible for publication of this work, including the printing of its plates, of which there are 187 in total. This proved to be an expensive endeavour, and many of the plates were sponsored by individual Fellows to help defray the costs, such as this one, sponsored by Walter Mills (1654-1726). This copy of Historia Piscium is annotated with the remarks of Tancred Robinson (1658-1748) penned down by Francis Aston (1644-1715); with later annotations by Cromwell Mortimer (c.1699-1752).
    Related fellows
    Francis Willughby (1635 - 1672, British) , Naturalist
    John Ray (1627 - 1705, English) , Naturalist
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
             > London
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