The two volumes of Thomas Bewick's "A History of British Birds" appeared in 1797 and 1804, respectively, and were an immediate success. What I have reproduced here are not the bird engravings but the wood cuts he used as chapter headings and tail-pieces. Some depict everyday life as Bewick saw it in his travels around Britain towards the end of the 18th century; others are more fanciful and may have some morality message. But all are intended to tell some sort of story. Where what's being depicted isn't perhaps clear then I've appended a note, which can be read by hovering the mouse over the image. Where there's no note it's because I either think the picture needs no comment, or I don't understand it myself. The illustrations have been grouped into pages. Click on a page number to open it, then right-click on an illustration to save it. Click the "Back" button of your browser to return to this page.