Mary and Elizabeth Kirby were naturalists and gifted illustrators during the Victorian era. The sisters introduced the natural world to women and children through a series of colorful books. At the time, women's contribution to the sciences was not encouraged, and many times not even acknowledged. Women produced "pretty pictures" of flowers, birds and insects, and these were viewed as "hobbies" by the scientific mainstream despite the technical brilliance and amazing accuracy of the work. Hummingbirds is a volume showcasing the "jewels of the avian world". At a time when women were denied access to higher education, Mary and Elizabeth Kirby produced books exploring the wonders of nature and science for an audience hungry for scientific knowledge. Proudly presented as published in 1874