There were two artists who had the initials T.W. Wood. One was an American and the other a Brit. It was the British artist we are honoring today. Thomas Wood (not sure where the second W comes from) was an English zoological illustrator. He illustrated for Darwin and a number of other naturalists, including William Bernhard Tegetmeier(1816-1912), the author of, Pheasants: Their Natural History and Practical Management, the 1881 book where this bird drawing is from.
This argus pheasant drawing shows two male birds putting on a display for the girls. While these pheasants are not as colorful as some of the others, they really strut their stuff during mating season. Their tails rival those of peacocks; with hundreds of eyes decorating their beautiful fans. Unfortunately, their features became in great demand for the garment industry and the birds are now considered near-threatened.
These beautiful birds are native to the jungles of Borneo, the Malay Peninsula (in southeast Asia) and Sumatra.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
