Rough Notes on the Birds observed during 20 years shooting and collecting in the British Islands.

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One of the major 19th century source works of British ornithology. With 114 Hand Coloured Lithographed Plates 1881-1887, VG, First edition, 3 volumes in the original fifteen parts, collates as per Ellis/Mengel, with 114 hand coloured lithographed plates, two hand coloured maps, and three text figures, printed slips tipped in at front endpapers pf Parts II, III, and XII. With Plates from Drawings by E. Neale A Superb Copy. The author was an active field ornithologist and a discriminating observer and his work, based almost entirely on his own observations and collections over much of the British Islands through 25 years, was progressive for its times in its attention to habits and behavior, plumage's, colours of soft parts, etc. Its text conveys an idea of hunting and field ornithology in England under conditions which can no longer be duplicated. Neale's drawings were made from the author's specimens, housed in the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton.... The work was original published in 15 parts, 1881-87, each with title and in heavy boards short-titled and decorated with an engraving of the Golden Eagle. Upon completion of the work, a revised title page, a table of contents, and a list of illustrations were provided for each of the three volumes, and an introduction to the whole (part one contains temporary introduction not intended for inclusion in completed sets) (Ellis/Mengel). Ayer/Zimmer p79-81. Copenhagen/Anker 51. Ellis/Mengel 332. Fine Bird Books, p61 Nissen, IVB, 21. Nissen SVB 60. 442*348 mm.