The Handbook of British Birds

London: H. F. & G. Witherby, Ltd., 1947-1948. Cloth. Very Good. 9" by 6". Not Stated. A smart fifth impression complete set of this beautifully illustrated handbook to British birds. Complete in five volumes. Fifth impression. First published in 1938. An impressive and practical handbook to the birds of Britain, with detailed of identification and classification of bird families, commentary on habitat, characteristics, and song. Edited by Harry Forbes Witherby, a noted British ornithologist, author, publisher, and one of the founding members of the magazine, British Birds. With contributions from Francis Charles Robert Jourdain, a notable amateur British ornithologist known for his extensive research into the breeding biology of birds of the Palaeartic region, Norman Frederick Ticehurst, a British ornithologist, and Bernard William Tucker, an English ornithologist and lecturer in zoology at Oxford University. This set includes: Volume one - Crows to Firecrest, 1948. Illustrated with thirty-three plates many of which are in colour, six maps, and many in-text images. Volume two - Warblers to Owls, 1948. Illustrated with thirty plates many of which are in colour, six maps, and many in-text images. Volume three - Hawks to Ducks, 1948. Illustrated with thirty-nine plates many of which are in colour, seven maps, and many in-text images. Volume four - Cormorants to Crane, 1948. Illustrated with thirty-three plates many of which are in colour, eight maps, and many in-text images. Volume five - Terns to Game-Birds, with additions and corrections as well as systematic list and indices, 1947 Illustrated with twenty-two plates many of which are in colour, ten maps, and many in-text images. Collated complete. In the original navy blue cloth binding. Externally, smart with light shelf wear and minor bumping to the extremities. Fading to the spine and the odd mark to the board. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright and clean with light spotting to the first and last few pages. Bookseller's label to the rear pastedown. Each volume includes the front flap panel of the original dust wrapper, cut to fit into the text. Very Good