History of British Birds (Land & Water Birds) (2 vols.)
Newcastle: Printed by Sol. Hodgson, for Beilby & Bewick/ Printed by Edward Walker, for T. Bewick, 1797-1804. First edition. Hardcover. Vol.1: 10 1/4x 6 1/2". Quarto. (xxx) [1] 335pp. [1]. Vol.2: 9x6 1/4". Small quarto. (xx) 400pp. Bound in period green pebbled leather, sunned along extremities and spine to a tan color. Gilt lettering and raised band on the spine. Top edge of vol.1 in gilt. Marbled endpapers. Woodcut engraved vignettes on title pages. First edition copies of both the first and second volumes of Thomas Bewick's groundbreaking work of ornithology. The work is a comprehensive overview of the birds of the British isles, including discussion of 283 different species and illustrated throughout with a total of 445 woodcut engravings by Bewick the British engraver and naturalist. The first volume (1797) features land birds, while the second (1804) is about water birds. Extensive tables of contents at the front. The final page of the first volume contains publisher's advertisements.
Bindings with sunning to extremities, with some minor to light rubbing to extremities including the spines. Interiors with sporadic minor to light foxing and smudges throughout (significantly less so in vol.2). Most images throughout still clean and bright. Bindings relatively tight. Bindings in very good-, interiors in good to good+ condition overall. g to vg-. Item #48551
Alternate title: A History of British Birds.
Price: $850.00