Dunn, Robert. The Ornithologist’s Guide to The Islands of Orkney and Shetland.
1st. Ed. Pub. by the Author. 1837 pp.x, [2], 128 with lithographic plate and 2 folding maps. 8vo. With plate bound as frontis. Some foxing to plate and borders of maps, o/w. contents very clean and fine. Bound in original burgundy cloth boards, gently faded in places, with some wear to cloth on spine., o/w. vg.
This book describes Hull taxidermist and natural history dealer Robert Dunn’s visits to Orkney and Shetland in the years 1831-35, and includes a record of the birds he encountered. We no longer look on birds in the way that Dunn did - he was a serious collector of birds and their eggs. For the facsimile of this work, published by Peregrine Books (2007), Martin Limbert wrote that it is ‘a window into those times, an essential reference for anyone, whether birder, naturalist, historian or island-goer, interested in the Northern Isles of seventeen decades ago’.
£400.00 [ref: 55028]
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Forshaw, J.M. & Cooper, W.T. Parrots of the World.
Pub. Doubleday. 1973 pp, 584 with fine illus. by W.T. Cooper plus figs. & numerous distribution maps. Folio. Hardback. A vg. copy in vg. dw.
£175.00 [ref: 44569]
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Hewitson, William Chapman. Coloured Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds. with descriptions of their nests and nidification.
3rd. Ed. Pub. Van Voorst. 1856 Two volume set with 144 [of 149] hand-coloured plates. 8vo. Hardback. Bound without pp.385-396. Contents very clean with minor spotting only occ. a little heavier. More recently rebound in blue cloth with gilt lettering to spines.
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£175.00 [ref: 66574]
Jardine, Sir William. The Natural History of Humming-birds. The Naturalist’s Library.
Pub. Lizars, Edinburgh. (c.1835) Two volume set; pp.[xi], [i], [25]-191; [xi], [1]-192. With 64 hand-coloured plates, 2 hand-coloured title-pages and 2 portrait frontis. Small 8vo. Hardback. Contents exceptionally clean and in fine condition. More recent full calf leather binding richly decorated with gilt birds and lettering to spines, gilt turn-ins and borders, all in fine condition. With the Arts and Crafts style bookplate of Herbert Standen to both volumes. A most pleasing set.
The first portrait frontispiece depicts Carl Linnaeus, with the second being an image of Thomas Pennant.
£700.00 [ref: 61202]
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Jardine, Sir William. The Natural History of Humming-birds. The Naturalist’s Library.
Pub. Lizars, Edinburgh. (1834) Two volumes bound in one; pp.[8], [i]-iii, 147, [8], [i]-iv, 166 plus 6-pages of publisher’s adverts. With 64 hand-coloured plates, 2 hand-coloured title-pages and 2 portrait frontis. Small 8vo. Hardback. Minor off-setting and spotting, o/w. contents fine. More recent half-calf binding with period style paper label, all in nr. fine condition.
The first portrait frontispiece depicts Carl Linnaeus, with the second being an image of Thomas Pennant.
£450.00 [ref: 59536]
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Lattin, Frank H., [Barnes, R. Magoon]. The Young Oologist [The Oologist. For the Student of Birds, Nests and Eggs]. Volumes 1 to 58.
1st. Ed. Gaines, NY; [Albion, NY and Lacon, Ill.]. 1884-1941 Fifty-eight volumes with photographs throughout, plus plates and advertisements, bound in 15. 8vo. Hardbacks. A little spotting to top-edge of text block of six volumes. A handful of neat repairs, o/w. contents exceptionally clean and in nr. fine/fine condition. Handsomely bound in 20th century blue buckram, with gilt lettering. Prov: from the library of Fred J. Pierce (1902-1992) with his bookplates and his name in gilt to the foot of all spines. A large, rare run, no comparable set traceable.
An astonishing work. Originally published as a monthly journal entitled ‘The Young Oologist’ until January 1886 when its name was changed to ‘The Oologist’ and at the same time, became a bi-monthly publication. With a focus on Oology, it does touch on related subjects including taxidermy and the collection of other natural history specimens. Fred J. Pierce was editor of the highly respected journal ‘Iowa Bird Life’ for 30 years. In 1944 with his wife, he established the Pierce Book Company in 1944, with a focus on natural history books.
£5,500.00 [ref: 59225]
Lilford, Lord. Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands.
2nd. Ed. Pub. R.H. Porter, London. 1891-1897 Eight volume set (includes Index vol.) with photogravure portrait frontis., and 421 chromolithograph or hand-coloured plates. Royal 8vo Hardback. TEG. Occ. spotting o/w. contents fine. Text leaves and plates neatly numbered in pencil. Marbled endpapers. Superbly bound by R.H. Porter in crimson half morocco over marbled boards with sewn headbands, all in nr. fine condition. Most pleasingly all original part wrappers are bound into the Index vol. These wrappers provide content information for ‘Coloured Figures’ and R.H. Porter adverts with period detail on the books advertised - titles include ‘Eggs of British Birds - Limicolae’ by Poynting, ‘Argentine Ornithology’ by Sclater and ‘Rough Notes on the Birds observed in the British Islands’ by Booth.
Just 450 sets of this edition were printed and in parts VII to XVII ‘various improvements were made, some of the plates being much improved’ (Mullens an Swann). The majority of the plates are by Archibald Thorburn or J.G. Keulemans, with the remainder executed by G.E. Lodge and W. Foster.
£2,950.00 [ref: 66599]
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Lilford, Lord. Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands.
1st. Ed. Pub. R.H. Porter, London. 1885-1897 Seven volume set. With photogravure portrait frontispiece and 421 fine chromolithograph or hand-coloured plates. Royal 8vo. TEG. With armorial bookplate of Richard Heywood Thompson to front pastedown of each volume. Some spotting, and only very minor off setting, mostly confined to text o/w. contents in fine condition. Marbled endpapers. Original half morocco leather over marbled boards, bound by R.H. Porter, with gilt lettering, raised bands to spine and sewn headbands, all in nr. fine condition. A most pleasing set.
Very pleasing provenance. Richard Heywood Thompson was a subscriber to this work and he is mentioned as such in the List of Subscribers (page xxxiv). The majority of the plates are by Archibald Thorburn or J.G. Keulemans, with the remainder executed by G.E. Lodge and W. Foster.
£2,750.00 [ref: 64439]
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Macpherson, The Rev. H.A. & Duckworth, W. The Birds of Cumberland; Critically Studied, including Some Notes on the birds of Westmorland.
1st. Ed. Pub. Chas. Thurnam & Sons. 1886 pp.xx, 206 with colour frontis. of a Dotterell by Keulemans and fold-out map. With Errata slip. 8vo. Hardback. Short closed tear to margin of p.13, o/w. contents fine. James Edmund Harting’s (1841-1928) copy, with his annotations, corrections and notes to 11 pages, plus his insertions of related material including a typed, corrected, proof (corrections in Harting’s hand) of the scholarly, four page article which featured in The Zoologist (June 1886) reviewing this publication. Original blue cloth boards in nr. fine condition. A superb copy.
Harting was editor of The Zoologist from 1877 to 1896. Whilst the book review is not attributed to anyone, it would appear that Harting thoroughly read this copy of The Birds of Cumberland and was very probably the author. The notes he made in his copy feature clearly within the review. The insertions added to this copy by Harting date until 1912 indicating his ongoing curiosity and high level of interest in the subject.
£525.00 [ref: 60809]
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Morris, Rev. F.O. A History of British Birds. Vols. I to VIII.
Pub. Groombridge and Sons, London. [1888] Eight volume cabinet edition with 358 hand coloured plates. Small 8vo. TEG. Spotting to fore-edge of text-block, a little spotting to blank margins of a handful of plates and a very minor amount elsewhere, o/w. contents fine. Original decorated red cloth binding, spines showing some even sunning, o/w. nr. fine. A very pleasing set of the cabinet edition.
With two newspaper articles (dated 1889 and 1887 respectively) loosely inserted. The first talks about a French man, M. Jean Desbouvrie, who had been training Swallows as carriers or ‘winged messengers’. The second titled ‘The Nightingale in Yorkshire’ talks about how the Nightingale was more widespread across the County than previously thought and names sighting locations.
£480.00 [ref: 63841]
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