The Hill Ornithology Collection is part of the History of Science Collections which are housed in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in Kroch Library. Its emphasis is on North American ornithology and on works issued prior to 1900. Historical ornithological books of significance from many parts of the world, as well as some 20th century publications, are included. Many of them are lavishly illustrated with hand-colored plates reflecting the development of bird illustration as an art form and as an effective means of explaining textual materials. These books are fundamental to the study of the early history of ornithology as a science. This site act as a guide to those rare collections.