We’re celebrating the bees, birds, bats, and butterflies that help feed our planet with a selection of works on our favorite pollinators from the Literature and Rare Books Collection with a new exhibit in the Maryland Room.
Pollination is the act of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma. Flowers rely on their surrounding environment to move pollen from one flower to another, this can include wind, water, birds, insects, butterflies, bats, and other animals that visit flowers. Animals or insects that transfer pollen from plant to plant are called “pollinators”.
Hummingbirds and butterflies are important in wildflower pollination, while plants in tropical and desert climates depend on bats for pollination. Bees are vital for agriculture, helping to pollinate a multitude of crops including apples, melons, and pumpkins.
Did you know? 1 in 3 bites of food you consume every day exists solely because of pollinators. Coffee, chocolate, avocados, almonds, bananas, tequila (agave), apples, kiwi, strawberries, lemons, and more!
Titles highlighted in the exhibit include; The Feminine Monarchie, or the Historie of Bees by Charles Butler, 1623. The Management of Bees : with a Description of the “Ladies’ Safety Hive” by Samuel Bagste, 1838. Hummingbirds and Orchids of Mexico by Rafael Martín del Campo, 1963. Flore Coloriée de Poche a l’usage du Touriste dans les Montagnes de la Suisse by Henry Correvon, 1898. The Natural History of Foreign Butterflies by James Duncan, 1840. Alpenflora : hundert Alpenpflanzen nach der Natur gemalt by Joseph Seboth, c. 1890s. American Entomology : A Description of the Insects of North American by Thomas Say, 1857. A General History of Quadrupeds figures engraved on wood by Thomas Bewick, 1800.
In addition, here are more titles about pollinators that are found in our Rare Books collection; The Honey Bee; its Natural History, Physiology, and Management by Edward Bevan, 1827. The True Amazons : or, The Monarchy of Bees : Being a New Discovery and Improvement of Those Wonderful Creatures by Joseph Warder, 1716. A Treatise on the Nature, Economy, and Practical Management, of Bees by Robert Huish, 1817. The Natural History of Bees by Gilles Augustin Bazin, 1744. The Bee-Master of Warrilow by Tickner Edwardes, 1907. The Honey Bee : Its Natural History, Anatomy, and Physiology by T. W. Cowan, 1904. A History of British Birds by Thomas Bewick, 1847. Wood Engravings of Land and Water Birds by Thomas Bewick, 1860.
To explore more, visit Special Collections in Hornbake Library or if you have any questions, contact us!
Victoria Vera is a graduate student in the Master of Library and Information Science program at UMD and a student assistant in Literature and Rare Books Collections, Special Collections and University Archives.
Special Collections & University Archives 