捕捉自然：約翰‧詹姆斯‧奧杜邦和《美國鳥類》

本文主旨在於探究《美國鳥類》的科學價值，並嘗試證明奧杜邦的田野觀察和生命史敘事實對鳥類學研究有所貢獻。論文從量化分析《美國鳥類》所有圖版的訊息開始，藉此展示該書的整體特色和圖版間細微的差異。接續的各章節則探究《美國鳥類》的科學意義。我得出的分析結果有三：第一，書中不盡相同的禽鳥呈現手法，反映奧杜邦對於標本使用和科學圖繪模式潮流變化的複雜觀點。第二，《美國鳥類》諸多圖版和傳統鳥類學圖繪有許多相似性。奧杜邦透過模仿和修改經典鳥類呈現的圖式，得以更快速且有效的傳遞新穎的鳥類知識。第三，《美國鳥類》眾多圖版具有精緻的植物背景，這些背景暗示奧杜邦熟悉於植物學圖繪。然而，奧杜邦更傾向呈現植物於野外生長的樣態。在如此的處理下，植物呈現不單是裝飾圖樣，而是可以協助定位禽鳥發現地和季節的工具。本文證明奧杜邦在《美國鳥類》之中，探究諸多鳥類外型和行為的細微特色與差異，而這些研究往往為奧杜邦的前輩或同時代自然史家忽略。由此看來，《美國鳥類》不僅是精緻鳥類藝術的合輯，更也是一部深具科學意義的著作。

關鍵字

約翰‧詹姆斯‧奧杜邦；《美國鳥類》；鳥類學圖繪；自然史；生命史；野鳥觀察；美國鳥類學史

並列摘要

This thesis seeks to explore the scientific value of Birds of America and argues that Audubon’s field observations and life history narrative can contribute to ornithology. The research starts with a quantitative analysis of the content of each plate from Birds of America in order to demonstrate the general characteristics of the book, as well as the subtle differences between each plate. The subsequent chapters explore the scientific significance of Birds of America. I make the three following arguments. Firstly, the various ways of depicting birds result from Audubon’s mixed opinions about examining specimens and the changing trend in scientific illustrations. Secondly, many plates in Birds of America share similarities with long-existing ornithological illustration traditions. By copying and alternating the details of well-known schemes of bird art, Audubon was able to disseminate his new findings of avifauna more clearly and efficiently. Thirdly, Audubon’s meticulous studies of plants in backgrounds hint at his familiarity with botanical illustrations; however, he preferred presenting plants as if they were growing in the wild. These depictions of flora are not simply decorative patterns, instead they are a tool to identify birds' sighted locations and seasons. My research proves that Birds of America tackled studies of details and nuances of avifaunal appearance and behaviors, which many predecessors and contemporaries of Audubon had long overlooked. Therefore, my thesis demonstrates that alongside being a collection of exquisite bird art, Birds of America is also a scientific work in its own right.

並列關鍵字

John James Audubon ； Birds of America ； Ornithological illustration ； natural history ； life history ； field observation ； history of American ornithology

參考文獻

一、史料文獻

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捕捉自然：約翰‧詹姆斯‧奧杜邦和《美國鳥類》

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