Beschreibung:

[Thorburn, Archibald, 1860-1935]. The Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland, by J[ohn] Guille Millais, 3 volumes, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1904-06, photogravures, chromolithographs and half-tone plates, a little spotting, author's signed presentation inscription to Archibald Thorburn 19 November 1904, inscribed in brown ink to front free endpaper of volume 1, and Thorburn's ownership signature to limitation leaves of volumes 2 (in pen) and 3 (in pencil), some soiling and creasing to endpapers, top edges gilt, original buckram-backed cloth gilt, heavily rubbed and slightly soiled, some fraying to extremities, large 4to, together with 2 autograph letters from Millais to Thorburn, Compton's Brow, Horsham, 24 July [1904?] and 29 October [1905?], addressing him as Archie, the first saying that he is 'glad to hear that you have completed the Shrews and that the Weasel is nearly done. As regards the Shrews tail I have found that they vary very much as well as the colour of the pelage... , and continuing to give more information about shrews, etc., signed 'J.G. Millais', heavy spotting, 4 pp., 8vo, the second unsigned and written on his return from Newfoundland where 'I was fortunate enough to see the only Blue Whale killed', and later saying that he will send his copy of volume 2 tomorrow, 'I think you will like it' and talking about the illustrations for volume 3, 4 pp., 8vo (Quantity: 5) Limited edition, 6/1025 copies. A fine association between these two great naturalists and artists. Thorburn provided the artwork for 30 of the coloured plates in the 3 volumes, including those of the shrews used in volume 1.