Rare books from Buteo Books

Silvio Mattacchione & Company, 1993. Leather Bound. Fine. London: Silvio Mattacchione & Company, 1993. Color plates of each species from paintings by Eric PEAKE. Remarqué edition limited to 50 numbered copies signed by author, artist, and publisher, of which this No. 48. Full leather binding with gilt lettering and designs along with a velvet lined Solander box. One corner of Solander box bumped. An original and unique pencil sketch by the artist bound in.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the American Ornithologists' Union. Paperbacks in slipcases. New. The complete set of the Birds of North America Life Histories for the 21st Century series. In 1992 the American Ornithologists' Union in partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia undertook the publication of species accounts for each of the more than 700 species which breed in the United States and Canada. These illustrated reviews provide comprehensive summaries of the current knowledge of the species, with range maps and an extensive list of references. The series is now complete in 716 parts. This includes Table of Contents, errata, corrigenda, slipcases, and labels. Approximately two dozen of the original fascicles have been reprinted by Buteo Books in order to complete the set. These photo-copies of the originals are barely distinguishable from the originals; interior pages are in black & white and lack the blue in graphs and line drawings. Individual… Read More

London: Witherby & Co. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Complete In four volumes, 1918-1922. Very good hardcovers witha few bumped corners and shelf wear.Published under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society. The ninety colored plates are executed in various ways, including chomolithography and collotype. The artists include A. THORBURN, G.E. LODGE, H. GRONVOLD, and L.A. FUERTES, 88 photogravure plates from photographs by Beebe and others, 20 distribution maps, captioned tissue-guards. Limited to 600 numbered copies of which this is No. 530. Original burgundy cloth. As is often the case, covers of Volume I show a bit more shelf wear than subsequent volumes. This was one of the earliest definitive studies of pheasants in their natural habitats. Beebe's text is based on his own extensive travels through Asia and studies in the leading natural history museums of the world. The first volume, published in London, appeared in 1918; the remaining volumes were delayed on account of WWI.… Read More

South Moulton Company, 1923. Leather Bound. Very Good. The Birds of California. A Complete, Scientific and Popular Account of the 580 Species and Subspecies of Birds Found in the State. San Diego: South Moulton Company, 1923. Four volumes in the 'Format De Luxe, Patron's Inlaid Edition'. Signed by Dawson in Volume One. Illustrated with 110 full-page color plates of birds and 44 drawing in the text by Allan BROOKS. Additional illustrations include 30 photogravures, 120 full-page duotone plates, and more than 1100 half-tone cuts of birds, nests, eggs and favorite haunts, from photographs. This edition comprises the first choice of selected sheets from the first impressions of the format de luxe of the Birds of California. In full leather with hand-carved and hand-colored bird portraits in half relief of hardwood on covers, spine panels separated by inlaid bird figures. The Patron's Inlaid Edition is the most opulent and rare of the many editions of The Birds of California published under the… Read More

London: Collins. First edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. The complete set of the New Naturalist Monographs in dust jackets, all first editions. NMN 21, The Trout is ex-library (canceled). Some of the dust jackets have minor chipping and some small bits of insect chewing. A complete list of the monographs is available. Overall a near fine set. In 1945, Collins, of St. James Place, London published Butterflies, the first title in the New Naturalist Library, a series of books on British Natural History in iconic dust jackets, with the aim of interesting the general reader in the wildlife of Britain by recapturing the enquiring spirit of the old naturalists. Within a few years, Collins perceived a need to narrow the focus by producing 'New Naturalist Special Volumes' with each title devoted to a single species and thus was born the New Naturalist Monographs. Twenty-two monographs were published, beginning with The Badger in 1948 and ending with The Mole in 1971.

Dodd, Mead & Company, 1904. Hardcover. Very Good. Edited with introduction, notes, and index by Reuben Gold. Thwaites. Fourteen of fifteen volumes. Lacking only Volume I, Part II of this large paper edition. Thirteen volumes of this set including the Atlas volume are from the Van Gelder Hand-made Paper edition limited to 200 copies. Volume VI, Part II is from the Imperial Japan Paper edition limited to 50 copies and lacks the frontispiece and 2 of the 3 additional Bodmer plates. Printed from the original manuscripts in the Library of the American Philosophical Society together with additional material from other sources. The seven volumes of the large paper edition were bound in 14 parts. The Atlas Volume Includes upwards of 50 folded maps made by Clark. Only the large paper editions cited above contain the full-page views of Indians, Indian manners, customs, curios, and views of Western scenery on the route of the Expedition by Charles Bodmer. The Thwaites edition is considered the definitive,… Read More

Philadelphia: Robert P. Smith, 1854. Hardcover. Near Fine. First combined edition, later printing, 1854. With 236 fine hand-colored plates (both engravings and lithographs) each with a tissue guard. Bound in half dark green morocco, spine with five raised bands, lettered in gilt in two compartments, covers have a large gilt-stamped botany illustration in gold on both the front and rear covers, antique marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, lg 8vo (10 1/2 x 6 3/4 inches). The first volume of Michaux covers pines and firs, walnut and hickories, the second volume presents 20 different oaks, with maples, birches, beeches, chestnuts, and nyssas among other groups, and the third volume documents the magnolias along with ribinias, the tulip tree, the catalpa and others. The Volumes II and III of the Nuttall volumes (this set lacks Volume I) cover trees left out of Michaux as well adding descriptions of trees from Oregon, California and the Rocky Mountains where Michaux did not explore and collect. The first… Read More

Northwestern Photo Co. Hardcover. Very Good. Circa 1880's. Professionaly restored. Spine relined with paper and cloth, reattached boards with cloth hinges. Rebacked in Japanese paper over linen toned to match, gold stamped leather spine label. Images are of hand colored title page and Shadow Falls. All 105 images are present, including 2 tinted plates. Eleven pages of text describing the plates of historic homes and landmarks. Beautiful copy, scarce.

Lynx Edicions. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. The complete 16-volume set at a bargain price. All volumes in dust jackets. Volumes 1-8 shaken, Volumes 9-16 as new. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks (1992); Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl (1994); Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks (1996); Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos (1997); Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds (1999); Volume 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills (2001); Volume 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers (2002); Volume 8: Broadbills to Tapaculos (2003); Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails (2004); Volume 10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes (2005);Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers (2006); Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees (2007); Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes (2008); Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows (2009); Volume 15: Weavers to New World Warblers (2010); and Volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds (2011).

London: R.H. Porter, 1885. Leather Bound. Fine. First edition, 1881-1897. Seven volumes originally issued in 36 parts. 421 chromolithographic color plates on heavy stock and mounted with linen stubs. Most of the plates by A. Thorburn and J.G. Keulemans, a few by G.E. Lodge and W. Foster. Bound in full leather with raised bands, gold decorations. Original wrappers bound in. TEG. Text pages numbered lightly in pencil throughout. Occasional foxing as usual in this work. Offsetting and light damage to text pages opposite Plate 16 (Swift) in Volume II and Plate 63 (Coot) in Volume IV. A fine set. Lord Lilford (Thomas Lyttleton Powys) was an early contributor and supporter of 'The Ibis,' and President of the British Ornithologists' Union.

San Francisco: Arion Press, 1986. First Edition. Portfolio. Fine. Published by the Arion Press in 1986, this remarkable work includes 156 individual bird portraits in color by Andrew Jackson Grayson housed in a massive linen covered box which measures 20 by 26 inches. A separate bound volume, 'Birds of he Pacific Slope: A Biography of the Artist & Naturalist 1818-1869,' by Lois Chambers Stone includes species accounts and field notes by Andrew Jackson Grayson with current ornithological identifications to accompany the portraits. The portraits were produced from Grayson's sole surviving paintings preserved by the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. Limited to 425 sets, this is Set Number 125. Andrew Jackson Grayson was a self-taught ornithologist and artist who, inspired by James John Audubon's Birds of America, decided to continue where Audubon left off. For 17 years he lived and traveled throughout California and Mexico, collecting specimens and painting birds native to the… Read More

Ducks Unlimited Canada, 1987. Leather bound. Near Fine. A magnificent oblong folio (24 x 18 inches) containing 44 color reproductions of original works submitted by the artists protected by tissue guards. The plates are printed on museum quality paper using high grade inks and are signed and numbered by the artists of which 30 are represented. This is Number 307 of 1,250. Leather bound and housed in a chocolate Solander case. Artists include J. Fenwick Lansdowne (2), Peter Scott. John Ruthven (2), Albert Earl Gilbert, and others. Each plate faces a page with a photograph of the artist and a biographical sketch. Published by Ducks Unlimited Canada to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of North America's premier waterfowl conservation organization. Due to the weight of the text block, the hinges have experienced some stress.

Landsowne Editions. Leather Bound. Fine. Sydney: Lansdowne Editions, 1983-1993. Four volumes in two solander boxes with leather labels and velvet lined interiors, Folios. PART I: Alcedinidae (Kingfishers) 564 pp. with 52 color plates (both volumes). Volume 1: Ceryle to Cittura (includes the fish-eating and specialist kingfishers). Volume 2: Halcyon to Tanysiptera (includes woodland kingfishers and the beautiful racket-tailed or paradise kingfishers). PART II: Todidae to Phoeniculidae - Volume 3: Todidae, Momotidae and Meropidae (Todies, Motmots and Bee-eaters) 315 pp., 26 color plates. Volume 4: Leptosomatidae, Coraciidae, Upupidae and Phoeniculidae (Rollers, Hoopoes and Wood Hoopoes) 251 pp., 22 color plates. Each of the four volumes are hand-bound in imported leather and fabric and presented in two cloth-covered Solander boxes containing two volumes each. Solander box of first two volumes shelf worn. This set lacks PART III: Bucerotidae (Hornbills). Originally planned in an edition of 1,000… Read More

South Moulton Company, 1923. Hardcover. Very Good. The Birds of California. A Complete, Scientific and Popular Account of the 580 Species and Subspecies of Birds Found in the State. San Diego: South Moulton Company, 1923. Four volumes in the 'Format De Luxe, Patron's Inlaid Edition'. Signed by Dawson in Volume One. Copy Number Twenty-one. Illustrated with 110 full-page color plates of birds and 44 drawings in the text by Allan BROOKS. Additional illustrations include 30 photogravures, 120 full-page duotone plates, and more than 1100 half-tone cuts of birds, nests, eggs and favorite haunts, from photographs. This edition comprises the first choice of selected sheets from the first impressions of the format de luxe of the Birds of California. In full leather with hand-carved and hand-colored hardwood bird portraits in half relief on covers, spine panels separated by inlaid bird figures. The Patron's Inlaid Edition is the most opulent and rare of the many editions of The Birds of California published… Read More

Houghton Mifflin Co. (The Riverside Press, Cambridge), 1922. First edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fair. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1922-1926. First edition published in four volumes. Illustrated with color plates and black and white drawings by Benson, Brooks, Fuertes, and Gronvold. Bibliography. A fine set having been protected by chipped dust jackets and card slipcases. Slipcase of Volume IV lacking backstrip and split. Paper labels on buckram spines. Handwritten note to previous owner laid in along with slip stating With the Compliments of the Author. Tape marks on FEP where author's note had been affixed. ‘This rare work stands in the front rank of modern illustrated monographs. It is an exhaustive account of the ducks of the world, with synonymy, description, distribution and characteristic habits, etc. of each species. A useful and lengthy bibliography...' -Wood. A classic monograph with fine illustrations.