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BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY 
227 
Gesner (Conrad), 1516-61 1 
Gifford (Thomas), oh. 1760 
This work, which existed in MS. in 1733, was not printed 
until 1786. The account of the birds is quite unimportant, 
merely mentioning a few of the common species. 
1786. An | Historical | Description | of the | Zetland Islands. | By 
Thomas Gifford, Esq. | London. | Printed by and for J. Nichols, 
| Printer to the Society of Antiquaries. | mdcclxxxvi. 
Collation — 1 vol. 4to, pp. xviii + pp. 104, folding map. 
A brief paragraph on the birds at pp. 26-7. 
No. XXXVII. of Bibliotheca To'pogra'phica Britannica. 
Idem. Another edition, 1879, entitled : Historical Description 
of the Zetland Islands in the Year 1733 . . . by Thomas Gifford 
of Busta. . . . Reprinted from the Original Edition published 
in 1786 under the superintendence of John Nichols, London. 
Edinburgh : mdccclxxix. 
Collation — 1 vol. 8vo, pp. xiv + pp. xv + pp. 100. 
A short description of the birds of Shetland on p. 23. 
Gilbert (Charles Sandoe), 1760-1831 
Gilbert, a Cornish historian, was born in the parish of 
Kenwyn, near Truro, in 1760, and was an itinerant vendor 
of medicines, or, according to other accounts, a druggist and 
chemist at Devonport. He took up the study of antiquities 
and genealogy, with the result that his business became 
bankrupt through the outlay which he incurred in compiling 
1 The life of this famous naturalist is too well known to need mention here. He is 
included in this work as among the numerous Indices in his book below mentioned is 
that entitled “ Anglica et Scotia,” wherein he sets forth the names of no fewer than 
196 British Birds, some of which are also described in his text. He received assistance 
in this subject from two Englishmen, William Turner and John Caius, and the list is 
therefore of considerable importance. It is perhaps permissible to mention here that 
William Turner also supplied a valuable account of the fishes of this country, which 
may be found in the form of a letter to Gesner on pp. 1294-7 of the fourth volume 
of the Historia Animalium (1558). 
*1555. Conradi Gesneri | Tigurini medici & Philosophiae pro =J | fessoris in Schola 
Tigurina, Histo = | riae Animalium Liber III. | Qui est de Avium | natura. I . . . 
Tiguri apud Christoph. Froschoverum. | Anno m.d.lv. 
Collation — 1 vol. folio, pp. 27 un. + pp. 779, numerous ill. in text. 
And subsequent editions. 
Note. — The above forms Vol. III. of the five volumes comprising the 
Historia Animalium, 1551-87. 
Tigurum = Zurich. 
