of Hummingbirds titled j gould and hc Richter Erythrina sophle, John Gould 1804 - 1881 (Born Sept. 14, 1804, Lyme Regis, Dorsetshire, England. Died Feb. 3, 1881, London), English ornithologist whose large, lavishly illustrated volumes on birds command ever-mounting prices among collectors. The hummingbirds were considered his masterpieces. He incorporated his method of metalic coloring on some of the art to replicate the iridescence of the birds' plumage. Most of the subjects were from Gould's own collection of hummingbird specimens, which he exhibited at the Zoological Gardens, Regent Park in 1851. Gould, interestingly enough, never saw a live hummingbird until 6 years after this exhibition.