Capercaillie on a Fallen Log in Snowy Pines, Antique Bird Print, Morris, 1896

This is an original wood engraved bird plate, colored by hand, captioned "CAPERCAILLIE." A cock capercaillie stands on a fallen, mossy log, seen in three quarter view from behind, with the head turned to the right in profile and the broad dark tail hanging down at the lower left. The head and neck are dark slate gray, finely marked, with a scarlet patch above the eye and a pale gray hooked bill. The folded wing is brown, the breast a glossy bottle green, and pale buff tips edge the flank feathers. Behind the log stand snow laden conifers drawn in fine line and left uncolored.

The engraved caption below the picture reads "CAPERCAILLIE." with a full stop. There is no plate number above the picture and no engraver's credit on the sheet. The capercaillie is Tetrao urogallus.

A History of British Birds was written by the Reverend Francis Orpen Morris (1810 to 1893), rector of Nunburnholme in Yorkshire. The wood blocks for the plates of the work were engraved by Benjamin Fawcett (1808 to 1893) of Driffield in Yorkshire. This fourth edition was issued in six volumes by John C. Nimmo, London, and this plate comes from the third volume, whose title page is dated 1896 and states that the plates are colored by hand. Each plate combines an engraved black key block with a printed gray tint, finished by hand in watercolor.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.