The Minstrelsy of the Woods; or, Sketches and Songs connected with the Natural History of some of the most interesting British and Foreign Birds. By the Author of "The Wild Garland

London: Harvey and Darton, Gracechurch Street, 1832. Original Cloth. Fine-. First Edition in original cloth of this popular paean to song birds with charming hand-colored lithographs. Crown 8vo (187 x 110mm): xi,[1],227pp, with tissue-guarded frontispiece and sixteen further full-page plates. Publisher's green moire-patterned cloth (also issued in blue and brown cloth), red leather lettering piece gilt, edges rough-trimmed. Manuscript ex libris of Edward Maunsell Williams, dated 1857, and book plate of E. M. Williams to front paste down, with further Williams family inscription to head of title page. An excellent example in original cloth, generally clean throughout with rich impressions of the delicately colored plates. Darton G1021. Wood, p.619 ("A popular but accurately written work with fairly good colored illustrations.") Freeman 3888. Sitwell, p.153. Four subsequent editions were published. The dedicatory poem, "To my brother's children," is dated: Wyards, November, 1831 (Wyard's farm is on the outskirts of Alton, in Hampshire.) Prose passages alternate with poems. According to Bonhams, the plates, by Wolf, are the earliest use of chromolithography to illustrate birds. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).