Beschreibung:

WILSON, Alexander (1766-1813) and Charles Lucien BONAPARTE (1803-57). American Ornithology; or, the natural history of the birds of the United States . Edited and with a life of Wilson by Sir William Jardine London: Andrew Shortreed of Edinburgh for Whittaker, Treacher and Arnot, and Edinburgh: Stirling & Kenney, 1832. 3 volumes, 8° (217 x 135mm). Engraved portrait frontispiece of Wilson and 97 ornithological plates engraved by W.H. Lizars after Wilson, and T.R. Peale and A. Rider, ALL COLOURED BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND, text figures. Without half-titles in vols. I and II, sometimes present but not called for by Anker, Zimmer, etc. (Very occasional light spotting, plates 9 and 40 misbound.) Green morocco gilt by J. Wright, dentelle border, brown leather spine labels, gilt edges (very light rubbing at spine and corners). A FINE COPY of the Jardine edition of the life work of 'the father of American ornithology'. It reprints Wilson's original American ornithology , completed by George Ord, and Bonaparte's American ornithology as a continuation, together with copious notes by Jardine. The plates were re-engraved in smaller format by Lizars after the originals by Wilson, in Bonaparte's work by Titian R. Peale and A. Rider. The present copy has the backgrounds of the plates also coloured, despite Zimmer, Wood and others, stating that they were left plain in this edition. Anker 534; Nissen 996; Sabin 104598; Wood 630; Zimmer 683. (3)