John Latham (1740–1837) - Chinese Jacana – A General Synopsis of Birds - Engraving (18th Century)

This ornithological plate depicts the Chinese Jacana, known today as the Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus), shown in profile on an open coastal shoreline. The bird stands on its characteristically long legs and greatly elongated toes, an adaptation that lets jacanas spread their weight and walk across floating vegetation. Its most striking feature, the long, sweeping tail plumes of the breeding plumage, is rendered with care, together with the contrasting tones of the head, neck and wings. The simple landscape setting keeps attention on the bird's anatomy and posture, in keeping with the descriptive clarity of eighteenth-century natural history illustration. The plate is associated with John Latham's A General Synopsis of Birds, published in London from 1781 to 1785 and later expanded with supplements. The work introduced many species to European science and was illustrated with plates that Latham etched himself, often from specimens held in leading British collections of the period.

John Latham (1740–1837) was an English physician, naturalist and ornithologist, widely regarded as one of the founding figures of systematic ornithology in Britain. Practising medicine in Dartford, Kent, he devoted much of his life to describing and classifying birds from around the world, drawing on specimens brought back by voyages of exploration, including those of Captain James Cook. Latham named a large number of bird species still recognised today and was a founding member of the Linnean Society of London. His later General History of Birds (1821–1828) crowned a career that shaped the scientific study of birds for generations.

Artist or Maker: John Latham
Dimensions: Approximately 24 cm x 18 cm.
Medium: Engraving.
Date: 18th Century.
SKU: PLA-0930-2

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