拍品专文
Lilford was Thorburn's earliest patron. Thorburn's involvement with Lilford began as a result of J.G. Keulemans becoming ill in 1887. Lilford had embarked on his monumental Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands in 1885 and Keulemans completed the first 125 plates but after he became ill, Lilford commissioned Thorburn to complete 268 of the plates, Thorburn's first plate appearing in 1888. The publication was completed in 1898 and ran to 36 parts in seven volumes.