GEORGE-LOUIS-MARIE LECLERC, COMTE DE BUFFON (1707-1788) Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1770-1786. 10 volumes, large 4° (328 x 242mm). 975 FINE HAND-COLOURED PLATES, including duplicates to nos.145, 204 and 829 all in vol.V, drawn and engraved by Franois Nicolas Martinet under the supervision of Edmé Louis Daubenton. (Without the 35 non-ornithological plates, occasional light browning to text in earlier volumes.) Contemporary French red morocco gilt, covers with border of various decorative roll-tools, spine in six unequal compartments with double raised bands, green morocco onlays between the double-bands and two lettering-pieces in the second and fourth compartments, finely tooled with various neo-classical motifs, gilt turn-ins, g.e. (occasional small neat repairs to some joints, small splits to the head of the spines of vol.I and V, spine of vol.Iv slightly chipped at head and foot, occasional light scuffing to extremities, and spotting to leather of covers). A VERY FINE COPY OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST IMPORTANT LANDMARKS IN THE HISTORY OF ORNITHOLOGY. This issue is described by Buffon as "Petit in-folio avec les planches enluminées, petit papier". "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL BIRD BOOKS FROM THE COLLECTOR'S POINT OF VIEW" ( Fine Bird Books ). In 1765 Daubenton the younger, at Buffon's instigation, commenced the publication of the plates. By 1780 or a little later 42 cahiers (with 1008 plates) had appeared, in no particular order, and without text. The evident intention was that the plates should illustrate the ornithological volumes of Buffon's Histoire Naturelle générale et particulière (4°, 44 vols., 1749-1804): this proved impossible because of the limited edition of the coloured plates. A new set of 262 black-and-white plates were prepared for the nine ornithological volumes of the Natural History, and Buffon simultaneously produced, in ten volumes, the above special edition (in four distinct formats) using Martinet's plates and essentially the same text as appeared in the Natural History. Philibert Gueneau de Montbeillard and l'Abbé Bexon assisted Buffon with the text. The collations of this work vary and none of the standard references agree on an ideal copy. The plate-list calls for 973 plates (including 2 copies of plate 829 in two locations in volume V); the non-ornithological plates are not required, but would seem to be necessary in a perfect copy, however it is interesting to note that the only copy of this issue to appear at auction recently was also without these extra 35 plates. Anker 76; Fine Bird Books 63; Mengel 411; Nissen IVB 158; Zimmer 104. (10)
GEORGE-LOUIS-MARIE LECLERC, COMTE DE BUFFON (1707-1788) Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1770-1786. 10 volumes, large 4° (328 x 242mm). 975 FINE HAND-COLOURED PLATES, including duplicates to nos.145, 204 and 829 all in vol.V, drawn and engraved by Franois Nicolas Martinet under the supervision of Edmé Louis Daubenton. (Without the 35 non-ornithological plates, occasional light browning to text in earlier volumes.) Contemporary French red morocco gilt, covers with border of various decorative roll-tools, spine in six unequal compartments with double raised bands, green morocco onlays between the double-bands and two lettering-pieces in the second and fourth compartments, finely tooled with various neo-classical motifs, gilt turn-ins, g.e. (occasional small neat repairs to some joints, small splits to the head of the spines of vol.I and V, spine of vol.Iv slightly chipped at head and foot, occasional light scuffing to extremities, and spotting to leather of covers). A VERY FINE COPY OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST IMPORTANT LANDMARKS IN THE HISTORY OF ORNITHOLOGY. This issue is described by Buffon as "Petit in-folio avec les planches enluminées, petit papier". "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL BIRD BOOKS FROM THE COLLECTOR'S POINT OF VIEW" ( Fine Bird Books ). In 1765 Daubenton the younger, at Buffon's instigation, commenced the publication of the plates. By 1780 or a little later 42 cahiers (with 1008 plates) had appeared, in no particular order, and without text. The evident intention was that the plates should illustrate the ornithological volumes of Buffon's Histoire Naturelle générale et particulière (4°, 44 vols., 1749-1804): this proved impossible because of the limited edition of the coloured plates. A new set of 262 black-and-white plates were prepared for the nine ornithological volumes of the Natural History, and Buffon simultaneously produced, in ten volumes, the above special edition (in four distinct formats) using Martinet's plates and essentially the same text as appeared in the Natural History. Philibert Gueneau de Montbeillard and l'Abbé Bexon assisted Buffon with the text. The collations of this work vary and none of the standard references agree on an ideal copy. The plate-list calls for 973 plates (including 2 copies of plate 829 in two locations in volume V); the non-ornithological plates are not required, but would seem to be necessary in a perfect copy, however it is interesting to note that the only copy of this issue to appear at auction recently was also without these extra 35 plates. Anker 76; Fine Bird Books 63; Mengel 411; Nissen IVB 158; Zimmer 104. (10)
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