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A finely hand-colored copperplate engraving of a pair of California quail (Callipepla californica), here referred to as the “Partridge of California,” issued in the English translation of the official account of the La Pérouse expedition. The image was based on drawings made during the expedition’s visit to Monterey in 1786 and engraved by James Heath, one of the foremost British engravers of the late 18th century.
Published as part of the atlas of the voyage, this plate represents one of the earliest printed European images of California’s state bird. It exemplifies the Enlightenment-era blend of natural history, exploration, and copperplate artistry, produced from expedition material that survived despite the tragic loss of both of La Pérouse’s ships in the Pacific in 1788.
![Map of the Location of the California Southern Rail Road From the Pueblo of San Diego to the Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, in San Diego County, California... March 25 1881 [Right of way through Del Mar, Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia, and Carlsbad]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/98506.jpg)