The Natural History
of Birds of Paradise
Le Paradisier petit Emeraude
Plate 4
Handpainted Copperplate Print from
The Natural History of Birds
of Paradise
by RENÉ PRIMEVERE LESSON
1794-1849
Histoire naturelle des oiseaux
de paradis et des épimaques
Published in Paris by Arthus Bertrand, 1835
Dimensions: Full sheet approximately
5.75 X 9 inches
René
Primevère Lesson (1799-1849),
was a leading French naturalist and explorer.
From 1822 to 1825 Lesson participated in the
round-the-world voyage of the french corvette
the Coquille acting as the ship's doctor.
The voyage of exploration visited many regions
in South America and the Pacific. On his return,
Lesson published books on many aspects of natural
history, but he remains particularly famous
for his works on
hummingbirds and birds of paradise.
Several species were named by him or after him.
Primevere later taught botany at the naval medical
school in Rochefort, 1829–31 and was appointed
the top-ranking navy pharmacist in France in
1835.
More Birds
of Paradise
Engravings
from other
works by R. P. Lesson:
Lesson's Hummingbirds
