Antoine Léotaud (1814-1867) was born in Trinidad, though educated in France where he studied chemistry and zoology. He returned to Trinidad in 1839 and practiced medicine. As such, ornithology remained a pastime for him though he quickly acquired an outstanding reputation in the field.
This is the first book-length work dedicated to the subject. It was preceded by just two others of importance, namely Dr. de Verteuil’s Trinidad, its Geography, Resources … (1858) and Léotaud contributed one of the two essays on the subject. It was followed by E.C. Taylor’s paper in the Ibis (1864). Oiseaux … “was published at a time when papers on South American ornithology based on personal observation were limited in number, and Dr Léotaud’s many years of field experience gave him advantages which few ornithologists have possessed … Dr Léotaud gave 297 species, of which 208 are land-birds and 89 water-birds” (Chapman).
Scarce. While widely held in institutions, just two copies are recorded at auction in 1921 and 1972.
Chapman, Frank, “Birds of Trinidad” in Bulletin American Museum of Natural History, Vol. VI, 1894, p.10; Sabin, 40119.
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