Beschreibung:

GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Richard Bowdler SHARPE (1847-1909). The Birds of Asia . London: Taylor and Francis for the author, 1850-1883.
GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Richard Bowdler SHARPE (1847-1909). The Birds of Asia . London: Taylor and Francis for the author, 1850-1883. 7 volumes, large 2° (555 x 373mm). 530 fine hand-colored lithographic plates, most heightened with gum-arabic, by Gould, Henry Constantine Richter, William Hart and Joseph Wolf printed by Hullmandel & Walton, Walter or Walter & Cohn, first half of plates in volume I foliated in inkstamp on verso and on margin of text leaf. (Some light soiling or spotting, text leaf to plate 29 volume III fully backed with marginal tear, repaired marginal tear on plate 3 volume V just touching imprint, and a few other primarily text leaves with short marginal tears, some repaired, text leaf for plate 67 volume VI disbound, tail to Cheer, plate 18 volume VII, cropped as usual, a few plates tightly bound just touching imprint volume VII.) Contemporary green half morocco gilt, spines in 7 compartments with 6 raised bands, gilt-lettered in 2, the rest gilt, top edge gilt, others uncut by A. Manning (some spine ends and parts of joints renewed, hinges reinforced, a few hinges starting). Provenance : Bolton Public Libraries (inkstamp to the text leaf for plate 1 volume V). FIRST EDITION of the most comprehensive work on Asiatic species of its time, containing illustrations of many birds not previously described. The intended geographical range of the work was enormous, and very much in keeping with the seemingly limitless self-belief of the 19th-century's best known ornithologist. As Sharpe writes in his excellent introduction, the work covers "Species from Palestine to the westward, and from the Moluccas to the east." Unsurprisingly, the subjects of the plates are amongst the most varied of Gould's folios including trogons, kingfishers, sunbirds, woodpeckers, partridges, parrots, pittas and pheasants. This great undertaking was originally issued in 35 original parts to 207 subscribers, and took 34 years to produce. The three final parts were completed by Sharpe after Gould's death in 1881. The descriptions by Sharpe are identified by his initials; those not bearing his initials were presumably printed from Gould's notes. William Hart completed the lithographs from Gould's sketches. Anker 178; Ayer/Zimmer pp.258-9; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.102; Nissen IVB 368; Sauer 17; Wood p.365.