Histoire Naturelle des Colibris: suivie d'un Supplement a l'Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux-Mouches

Very good copy of Lesson's seminal work on hummingbirds

Complete with all 66 handcoloured stipple engraved plates based on the drawings of Jean-Gabriel Prêtre and Louis Bévalet, printed in color, and finely hand-finished by Rémond (Ronsil: Bibliographie Ornithologique Française)

X (dedication to Cuvier), 196 pages of explanatory text, 66 plates bound at rear on hinges: (Colibris: 1-25 with 2 bis plates; Supplement des Oiseaux-Mouches: 1-39)

First edition of one part of René Primevère Lesson's study of exotic birds in their natural habitat made aboard the Coquille on its world voyage, 1822-1825. As second surgeon on the scientific circumnavigation, Lesson was responsible for the botanical and zoological goals of the expedition. His work on hummingbirds was authorative. He described over 100 species of hummingbirds, out of the 330 known today, and his illustrations were copied by Sir William Jardine in his Naturalist's Library.

René Primevère Lesson (1794-1849) was a French surgeon, naturalist, ornithologist and director of the Rochefort zoological garden. A medical officer in the royal navy, he was second surgeon aboard the Coquille on Duperrey's scientific expedition from 1822 to 1825.

Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (1768-1849) was a Swiss-French natural history painter who illustrated a large number of books for Cuvier, Louis Pierre Vieillot, René Primevère Lesson, Comte de Lacépède, Richard Achille, and many other French zoologists.

Text in French.

Three-quarter red leather binding, spine with raised bands and gilt title and decoration, marble boards, marble endpapers, TEG, binding very clean, book block solid. Text pages with scattered foxing as usual, but all plates bound at rear on hinges, clean and free of spotting, good impressions with delicate handcolour. (Two plates, Colibris Pl. 3 and Supplement Pl. 39, trimmed about 5mm on the right edge affecting the image.)