Painting by Sir William Jardine, 1833

Sir William Jardine, 7th Baronet (February 23, 1800 - November 21, 1874, Edinburgh) was a Scottish naturalist.

Jardine made natural history available to all levels of Victorian society by editing and issuing the hugely popular forty volumes of The Naturalist's Library. The 40 volumes is 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 Latreille

Jardine's other publications included an edition of Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne which re-established White's reputation, Illustrations of Ornithology (1825-43), and an affordable edition of Alexander Wilson's Birds of America.

Jardine was the author of a number of bird species, alone or in conjunction with his friend Prideaux John Selby.

In 'Who Do You Think You Are?' transmitted on the BBC on 18 October 2007, it was discovered that Sir Matthew Pinsent, the multiple gold medal Olympic rower, is a direct descendant of William Jardine.

External links

• Archived papers

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