The Natural History of Pigeons. The Naturalist's Library, Ornithology Vol V Gallinaceous Birds, Part III by Prideaux John Selby, Andrew Crichton, Sir William Jardine - editor - 1835

EDINBURGH: W H LIZARS, 1835 A very good copy of the first edition in the original publisher's cloth binding with 30 hand coloured plates of pigeons from drawings by Edward Lear. Lear provided the illustrations for Pigeons and Parrots in the Naturalist's Library, and his work is distinctive for its accuracy combined with an ability to make the subject seem alive. Contents: volume listing; half title with signature to top; black and white frontispiece portrait of Pliny with tissue guard; hand coloured vignette title page with ring pigeons; 2 further title pages; publisher's advert; contents listing; Memoir of Pliny by Andrew Crichton; and text with black and white illustrations and 30 hand coloured plates. Publisher's catalogues at the rear. The binding is faded to spine and board edges. The spine is slightly cocked with pulling at the top and bottom. Bottom corners bumped. Internally the original green endpapers are present with repair to the front join and a small hole in the rear endpaper join. Plates and text are very clean with beautiful colouring to the plates. There is the occasional spot, mostly to tissue-guards, with one section of spotty text. A couple of gathers are slightly loose but the book is sound. The original owner has written the latin name of each bird neatly on its accompanying tissue guard. Light toning to text and plate edges.