Herring
Date
1686
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Library reference
18574
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 365mm
width (page): 230mm
width (page): 230mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Ichthyological study of two species from the herring family, including a sardine [top], here styled Harengus minor, and an Atlantic herring [bottom], Clupea harengus, here styled Harengus major.
Printed inscription: ‘1. Harengus minor, sive Pilchardus, a Pilchard./ 2. Harengus. a Herring/ Tab. P 1. Sumptibus D. Abraham Hill e S. R.’ with further handwritten annotation: 2. Harengus major Lucidus Sardina Roma Chatecidis species Bellon./ 1. Colerinus Pallorum Bellon. Sardina Roma’. Numbered ‘106’ in the top right-hand corner.
Plate P:1 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.
Abraham Hill (1630-1732), British merchant, was a Founding Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1660 and served as the Society's Treasurer from 1663-65. As Treasurer, Hill was responsible for the purchase of stock in the Royal African Company, a Crown-approved British monopoly which was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade.
Printed inscription: ‘1. Harengus minor, sive Pilchardus, a Pilchard./ 2. Harengus. a Herring/ Tab. P 1. Sumptibus D. Abraham Hill e S. R.’ with further handwritten annotation: 2. Harengus major Lucidus Sardina Roma Chatecidis species Bellon./ 1. Colerinus Pallorum Bellon. Sardina Roma’. Numbered ‘106’ in the top right-hand corner.
Plate P:1 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.
Abraham Hill (1630-1732), British merchant, was a Founding Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1660 and served as the Society's Treasurer from 1663-65. As Treasurer, Hill was responsible for the purchase of stock in the Royal African Company, a Crown-approved British monopoly which was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade.
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 Abraham Hill (1630-1721). 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).
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 Abraham Hill (1630-1721). 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
Associated place