Eleazar Albin’s ‘Natural History of Birds’ is the first colour plate bird book to be printed. Mark Catesby’s ‘Natural History’ began publication in the same year but that work was not completed until 1747 and it was not purely a bird book. Little is known about Albin; he was a teacher of watercolour and drawing. He admits that he was drawn to natural history by the rich and vibrant colours found in birds, plants and insects. Anker (1979) 4; Fine Bird Books (1990) 54; Nissen (1976) IVB 14.