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Historical bird plates

Gould, The Birds of Great Britain · Volume V, plate 50

Dovekie

Printed “Little Auk”

Volume V, plate 50 of Gould's The Birds of Great Britain: Dovekie (Alle alle) — Full resolutionSmithsonian Libraries and Archives, via the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

The whole sheet of volume V, plate 50, with its engraved caption — Full resolutionSmithsonian Libraries and Archives, via the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Printed on the plate

“Little Auk”

Mergulus alle

Engraved caption: MERGULUS ALLE.

Modern identification

Alle alle

Certain
Checked against the engraved caption
Auks, Murres, and Puffins · Alcidae

Why

Mergulus alle = Alca alle Linn., Alle alle, Dovekie (Little Auk); same species.

Sources

engraved caption; Gould's text; the plate

Who made the plate

J. Gould & H. C. Richter, del et lith.Walter Imp.

John Gould drew and lithographed
Henry Constantine Richter drew and lithographed
Walter printed

As the credit line gives it. More on who made these plates.

The scan at the Biodiversity Heritage Library

The same bird on other plates