antique prints, maps and watercolors

(Bonito) ...Fishes of the British Islands. London, 1877. $95.00

click for detailed image couchbonitovlg.jpg "Plain Bonito"

Jonathan Couch was an ichthyologist, local doctor, botanist, archaeologist and classical scholar.  His A History of the Fishes of the British Islands published in four volumes between 1862 and 1865, is considered to be his major work. It continues to be referenced by scientists and fishermen today. The illustrations were drawn by Alex F. Lydon after drawings by Couch. They were engraved and color printed from woodblocks by Benjamin Fawcett and finished by hand.

The “Plain Bonito,” part of the fish family Scombridae, is also known as the “Orcynopsis unicolor,” and is found in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.

Hand colored steel engraving.
7 x 10 inches, sheet.
Excellent condition.
With accompanying text.