Beschreibung:

NOZEMAN, Cornelius (1712-1786), Martinus HOUTTUYN (1720-1798) and Jan Christiaan SEPP (1739-1811). Nederlandsche Vogelen; volgens hunne huishouding, aert, en eigenschappen beschreeven. Amsterdam: Jan Christiaan Sepp, 1770-1829. 5 volumes in 2, large 2° (524 x 356mm). Hand-coloured engraved title to vol. I, letterpress titles to vols. I-III, dedication (repaired), foreword, list of plates for vols. I-III, 241 hand-coloured engraved plates only (of 250), including two double-page, by and after Christiaan Sepp, his son, N. Muis (vols. I-II) and W. Hendriks (vol. IV). (Lacking engraved titles to vols. II-V, letterpress titles and lists of plates to vols. IV and V, 9 plates, and text pages 477-500 at end, including the index to the whole work, a few plates just shaved at the margins, in one case slightly affecting image.) Crimson morocco gilt, the covers with decorative border composed of rules and stylised foliate and geometric rolls, an inner border of 4 rules broken by scrolled foliage and flowers, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in two, the others decorated with stylised foliate tools, turn-ins with rules and floral and foliate rolls, g.e., by John Mackenzie (spines and upper edges faded, lower corners lightly rubbed, occasional scuffing). FIRST EDITION of "the first comprehensive account of the avifauna of Holland" (Anker). The text was written by Nozeman, a pastor who owned a cabinet of natural-history specimens, and on his death, the work was taken over by Dr. Houttuyn. When he too died, the enterprise was continued probably by the publishers with the assistance of C. J. Temminck, to whom many of the specimens featured in the last two parts of the work belonged. As well as depicting the birds themselves, many of the plates show their eggs and nests, whilst the text describes both the birds and any interesting biological conditions relating to their habitat. The engraved titles are amongst the most famous in ornithological literature. Landwehr gives a complete list of plates and notes that the total price for the set of five volumes at the time of publication "was fl. 525 which makes it the most expensive book for sale in Holland at that period". The first part of a French edition entitled Oiseaux de Hollande was published in Amsterdam in 1778. Nissen IVB 684; Anker 369; Zimmer p. 469; Fine Bird Books 98; Landwehr Studies in Dutch Books with Coloured Plates p. 96, and no. 145; cf. Wood p. 496. (2)