A History of the Rarer British Birds (1) [and] Catalogue of British Birds (2) [and] Observations of the Natural History of Swallows (3) [and] A Discourse on the Emigration of British Birds (4)

Description:

An interesting collection of four scarce works on British birds: (1+2) T.C. Eyton, History of the Rarer British Birds pp. vi, [2], 101, [1], 25-26 (cancel), with attractive woodcuts to text by J. Marks, in the style of Bewick, whose work on British birds this was intended to supplement; with cancel leaf pp. 25/26 at end, with added woodcut of the rock grouse, but without the tailpiece found on the original leaf (both leaves present), followed by, Catalogue of British Birds, both first editions, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longman: London, 1836; (3) Observations of the Natural History of Swallows, by T. Forster, 6th edition, enlarged, London: T. and G. Underwood, 1817, pp. iv, 67, v-vi, [1 - Erratum], 5 plates (wood engravings by E. Willis); bound without half-title; (4) A Discourse on the Emigration of British Birds, [by J. Legg], [3rd edition], London: J. Walker, 1795, pp. xiv, [2], 97; xv, [1-ad], 64.

Mullens & Swann, pp 203 (1+2), 215 (3), 347-8 (4); Freeman, 1157a, 1158, 1242, 2209.

Condition

Four works bound in one volume, 8vo, cont. full speckled calf, lighlty scuffed, recently rebacked, raised bands, gt, leather title pieces, marbled endpapers and edges. Early owner's name, small printed bookseller's ticket (Proudfoot, Cavendish Square) and recent label of a book binder & restorer to endpaper. Very good. From the library of Michael Bryant, Hampshire ornithologist, with his bookplate.

Also bound in are a hand-coloured plate of the Yellow Wren (1794) from Nodder & Shaw Naturalist's Miscellany, with accompanying leaf of letterpress, and a plain plate of the Nutcracker from Pennant's British Zoology. A newspaper cutting enclosed, dated in manuscript, 'Nov - 1859', records the shooting of a 'fine male nutcracker', near Wisbech, the bird being, 'of exremely rare occurrence in this country'.