Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley: Lepidoptera: Heliconidae
- 78 pages
- 3 hours of reading
Henry Walter Bates was an English naturalist and explorer renowned for providing the first scientific account of mimicry in animals. His most famous work details his extensive eleven-year expedition into the Amazon rainforests. Throughout his travels, Bates meticulously documented and collected a vast array of species, many of which were new to science. His research laid crucial groundwork for understanding evolutionary adaptations and the sheer diversity of life.






A 1863 book by the British naturalist Henry Walter Bates about his expedition to the Amazon basin
Focusing on the author's extensive exploration of the Amazon basin, this 1863 work details Henry Walter Bates' journey alongside Alfred Russel Wallace. Over eleven years, they collected over 14,000 species, contributing significantly to evolutionary science. Bates' meticulous observations, particularly of butterfly coloration, led to the groundbreaking discovery of Batesian mimicry. The book also offers insights into Brazilian and indigenous life, showcasing the rich biodiversity and cultural aspects of the region during their travels.
Die deutsche Expedition durch die Arktis in den Jahren 1869-1870 ist ein Meilenstein in der Arktisforschung. Unter der Führung des Kapitäns Karl Koldewey war seine Crew großen Gefahren ausgesetzt und verloren auf ihrem Weg durch die zentralen Regionen der Arktis ihr Schiff, die „Hansa“. Diese Expedition bedeutete auch einen Konkurrenzkampf zweier unterschiedlicher Schiffsgenerationen: Zwischen dem Segelschiff, der während der Expedition zurückgelassenen „Hansa“ und der dampfbetriebenen „Germania“. Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich um eine englischsprachige Ausgabe.
This book showcases the two journals produced by entomologist Henry Walter Bates during his groundbreaking travels and discoveries in the Amazon from 1848 to 1859, on which his classic work The Naturalist on the River Amazon, was based. It includes facsimile reproductions of stunning illustrated pages taken from his Amazon journals, as well as an essay describing his travels. The journals reveal how a self-taught naturalist and butterfly enthusiast had a profound impact on the science of evolution. Bates, a trusted companion of Alfred Russel Wallace, traveled with him to the Amazon in 1848. There he became fascinated by close similarities in appearance between unrelated butterflies, and discovered a scientific phenomenon we now refer to as Batesian mimicry: species that are highly desirable to predators began evolving to look more like other, more toxic species in order to avoid predation. Bates spent a total of 11 years in the Amazon; when he returned to England, he had collected, by his own estimate, some 14,000 species of insects, of which no less than 8,000 were previously unknown. This book offers valuable new insight into the scientific implications and findings of Henry Walter Bates's rich and fruitful time in the Amazon, and it is the ideal book for anyone interested in science, scientific history, and science illustrations.--Adapted from the publisher's website
A Record of Adventures, Habits of Animals, Sketches of Brazilian and... Vol. 1
Focusing on the adventures of a naturalist in the Amazon, this volume captures the rich habits of wildlife and provides detailed sketches of Brazilian flora and fauna. The narrative offers a vivid exploration of the region's biodiversity and the author's firsthand experiences during his travels. As a high-quality reprint of the original 1863 edition, it preserves the historical insights and observations that highlight the natural wonders of the Amazon rainforest.