Specimens and Type Specimens

Steve asked about how Audubon picked his specimens (i.e. the animals to represent). Many of the species he captured and drew had been described before (hence his reliance on Wilson) and, he believed, inadequately. His desire was to be as true to his observations as possible--so he would pick individuals that helped him emphasize what he wanted to demonstrate. Sometimes he wanted to represent birds in a certain phase of their plumage; sometimes (as in a few of the images from Labrador), he wanted to represent both summer and winter plumage. Often he included young birds, because this also demonstrated his range as a collector, describer, and artist. "Type Specimen" refers to the actual specimen from which a species was first described. Audubon added several new species--including Lincoln's sparrow, but since he didn't collect and preserve skins, his descriptions (measurements etc.) work as "types." Often with was to Audunbon's disadvantage-see the controversy surrounding his "new" discovery of a Washington Sea Eagle.