Francis Willoughby (1635-1672)
Two of the most influential books
in the world of British ornithology and zoology sit on the shelves of Worcester
Cathedral Library. The first, Ornithology, was written by Warwickshire
naturalist Francis Willoughby, and published posthumously in 1676. Willoughby was a studious young man, and
developed an interest in the fields of mathematics and taxonomy, botany and
natural history. Although in poor health
for most of his life, he travelled the Continent and collected many specimens
for documentation and categorisation.
Ornithology was put together by the naturalist John Ray,
Willoughby’s long-time friend and mentor.
The edition of 1676 contains some remarkable engravings of birds, from
the commonplace to the exotic. The
images below depict firstly the golden eagle and sea eagle, and secondly the eagle owl, horned owl and little horned owl.
Thomas Pennant (1726-1798)
When he was twelve years old,
Thomas Pennant (the son of a Flintshire landowner) was given a copy of Francis
Willoughby’s Ornithology. The book ignited a passion for natural
history which would turn the young man into one of Britain’s leading zoologists
of the eighteenth century. Pennant
pursued the subject with what he called ‘constitutional ardor’, travelling
around Britain and the Continent collecting fossil specimens and observing
wildlife. He corresponded with a number
of eminent figures in the field including the Cornish naturalist William
Borlase and the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus.
Pennant is best known for British Zoology, the first volume of
which was published in 1766. The
completed work comprised four volumes, which dealt with quadrupeds, birds, reptiles
and fish. Printed in a compact octavo
form, the second and subsequent editions met with considerable success. The Cathedral Library has the fourth edition
from 1776. This book typifies the
Enlightenment enthusiasm for the ‘modern systems’ of categorisation and
taxonomy. Indeed, it is generally agreed
that its importance lays in its organisation and synthesis rather than in its
literary merit. Each section begins with
the etymology of the animal’s name. This
is followed by a general description of its character and physiology. The example of the sheep can be seen below (I
particularly like the appearance of the word ‘fleecy’ in the margin!).
Despite its arrangement, British Zoology is neither dry nor discouraging. In the Preface, Pennant expressed his hope
that the work would inspire ‘sedentary’ readers to leave the house and explore
the wonders of nature. To that end it
contains entertaining stories about the eradication of wolves and bears from
the British Isles, poems and fishermen’s incantations, and insights into the
medicinal uses of the viper’s flesh and the electric ray. The book also reveals a less than scientific
standpoint on the moral worth of particular creatures. For example, Pennant had a very low opinion
of the pig, which reflected popular notions of the time. He called it ‘useless and rapacious’,
‘stupid, inactive and drowsy’ with ‘sordid manners’ and a ‘more than common
brutality’. The reader is warned that the
pig’s ‘intestines have a strong resemblance to those of the human species; a
circumstance that should mortify our pride’.
Other descriptions are more
familiar to us, however, such as that of the cat: ‘a useful, but deceitful
domestic; active, neat, sedate, intent on its pray. When pleased it purres and moves its tail: when angry spits, hisses, and strikes
with its foot. When walking it draws its
claws: it drinks little: is fond of fish: it washes its face with its
fore-foot’.
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