Ornithology.
Handwritten Journals, 1906-1960

19 handwritten ornithological diaries compiled by British ornithologist C.H. Bentham, providing detailed accounts of the daily weather condition and of the various birds he managed to spot in various parts of the British Isles and France ( “Spent the day on the Essex coast at Shoeburyness. A good many lapwings on fields…Several Golden Plovers seen with a large flock of Peewits near the above place”, 27 January 1906; “Went by 2-20 train to Boulogne…A solitary Guillemot seen on water about mid-way between England and France, and several parties, flying close to the waves, were observed as we neared the French coast” 14th April 1906; “At Glasgow black headed Gulls were hunting for scraps of food about the canal even right in the heart of the town and amidst exceedingly smoky surroundings”, 11 June 1906; etc), frequently mentioning his use of photography to document the different species. Bentham briefly reports of his joining the British Army in WW1 (“Enlisted and went down to Kingston on Thames, returning to Colchester in the evening”, 9 September 1915; “Moved to Leamington Spa”, 12 November 1915; “Left Abingdon for France, sleeping at Paddington station. Crossed from Folkestone to Boulogne” 12-13 February 1916) but never interrupts his ornithological observations, even during the conflict (“Very little bird life around Etaples. A few House Sparrows, Robins, Sky Larks and Yellow Buntings”, 7 February 1916; “Left Etaples at 4.30 am, arrived in Bailleul at 12.30 (mid-night), noted number of magpies along railway route”, 29 February 1916; “In trenches. Barn Owls heard every night in no-man’s land. Partridge also frequent this area”, 11-14 March 1916; “Parades all day in preparation for Sir Douglas Haig’s inspection of battalions, so unable to carry out my usual observations in the afternoon”, 28 March 1916; “A glorious day. Inspected by Lord Kitchener. Two Chiffchaffs in woods near inspection ground, and two wood Pigeons”, 31 March 1916), also providing lists of the species he observed in France. After the end of the WW1, Bentham kept compiling his daily observations, occasionally adding hand-drawn sketches and graphs; nineteen volumes, handling wear, soiling, modern bindings, a few boards detached, 4to, 1906- 1960 (19)

***C.H. Bentham was married to Richard Kearton's daughter Grace. He was a Naturalist and keen observer who documented bird breeding records in the early 20th century. He co-authored Richard Kearton's Pocket Book of British Birds 1925, These diaries presumably formed a large part of the early research material for this text. He also worked with L.B. Mouritz, authoring papers regarding the breeding habits of the Hen-Harrier.

(Quantity:19)