The Natural History of Gallinaceous Birds. The Naturalist's Library. Ornithology. Vol.III

EDINBURGH: W H LIZARS, 1834 A good to very good copy of the 1st edition of Volume I of Gallinaceous Birds (covering varieties of domestic and wild fowl eg turkeys, pheasants), in the publisher's brown cloth binding. Copy previously in the ownership of Francis Hemming, the entomologist, and with his book plate at the front pastedown. Contents with half title; black and white frontispiece portrait of Aristotle; hand coloured vignette title page with a picture of a cockerel; 2 further title pages; contents listing; Memoir of Aristotle; and text with black and white illustrations and 30 hand coloured plates (29 plates are listed in the contents index but there are 2 versions of plate 18). 32pp of advertisements and a 4 page yellow geographical works advert at the rear. The cloth binding has been rebacked relaying the original spine, and is sound and tight. There is some slightly paler marking to the boards and the corners have light wear. The original green endpapers are present - the free endpaper is watermarked - and have professional repair at the joints. Contents are clean with toning to the margins including to the plate paper. Pages 169-172 have been roughly opened at the top edge and there is a small ink spot at the top edge of p 205. The plates are generally clean and very well coloured. Tissue guards tend to have some spotting or offsetting - Plate 1 has general toning and a very browned guard and the guard to plate 24 has a small area of paint from the bird on it.