Sir William Jardine
Sir William Jardine, 7th Baronet of Applegarth (1800 –1874)
A Scottish naturalist known for his editing of a long series of natural history books, The Naturalist's Library.
Jardine made natural history available to all levels of Victorian society by editing the hugely popular forty volumes of The Naturalist's Library (1833–1843) issued and published by his brother in law, the Edinburgh printer and engraver, William Home Lizars. The series was divided into four main sections: Ornithology (14 volumes), Mammalia (13 volumes), Entomology (7 volumes), and Ichthyology (6 volumes); each prepared by a leading naturalist. James Duncan wrote the insect volumes. The artists responsible for the illustrations included Edward Lear. The work was published in Edinburgh by W. H. Lizars. The frontispiece is a portrait of Pierre André Latreille.
His other publications included an edition of Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne, Illustrations of Ornithology (1825–1843), and an affordable edition of Alexander Wilson's Birds of America.
Jardine described of a number of bird species, alone or in conjunction with his friend Prideaux John Selby.
