1788-1867

Born in Northumberland and educated at University College, Oxford, Prideaux John Selby was a landowner and squire with ample time to devote to the study of the plant and animal life on his country estate, Twizell House. As a boy, he had studied the habits of local birds, drew them, and learned how to preserve and set up specimens. Later, Selby became an active member of several British natural history societies and contributed many articles to their journals.