Willughby, Francis, and John Ray. (1635-1672) The Ornithology Of Francis Willughby Of Middleton in the County of Warwick Esq.; Fellow of the Royal Society. In Three Books. Wherein All the Birds Hitherto Known, Being reduced into a Method sutable to their Natures, are accurately described. The Descriptions illustrated by most Elegant Figures, nearly resembling the live Birds, Engraven in LXXVIII Copper Plates. Translated into English, and enlarged with many Additions throughout the whole Work. To which are added, Three Considerable Discourses, [I. Of the Art of Fowling: With a Description of several Nets in two large Copper Plates. II. Of the Ordering of Singing Birds. III. Of Falconry. By John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society. Psalm 104. 24. How manifold are thy works, O Lord? In wisdom hast thou made them all: The Earth is full of they riches.

Willughby, Francis, and John Ray. (1635-1672) The Ornithology Of Francis Willughby Of Middleton in the County of Warwick Esq.; Fellow of the Royal Society. In Three Books. Wherein All the Birds Hitherto Known, Being reduced into a Method sutable to their Natures, are accurately described. The Descriptions illustrated by most Elegant Figures, nearly resembling the live Birds, Engraven in LXXVIII Copper Plates. Translated into English, and enlarged with many Additions throughout the whole Work. To which are added, Three Considerable Discourses, [I. Of the Art of Fowling: With a Description of several Nets in two large Copper Plates. II. Of the Ordering of Singing Birds. III. Of Falconry. By John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society. Psalm 104. 24. How manifold are thy works, O Lord? In wisdom hast thou made them all: The Earth is full of they riches. London: Printed by A.C. for John Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society, at the Bell in St. Pauls' Church-Yard, 1678 Folio, 360 x 222 mm. First English edition. A4, (a)2, B-Z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Lll4. [17] 441 [8] including blanks; Seventy-eight full paged engravings of birds (each of which contains many birds) are bound after the text. These plates are complete. The two of netting birds in-page engravings are found in this copy [Bbb3, Bbb4]. Some copies have tilted in full page engravings of the art of netting birds not found in this copy. This is a nice copy is in very good condition internally. The binding is full early calf, rebacked. It is a large lovely book.

Francis Willughby: "Francis Willughby, English ornithologist and ichthyologist, son of Sir Francis Willughby, was born at Middleton, Warwickshire, in 1635. He is memorable as the pupil, friend and patron as well as the active and original co-worker of John Ray, and hence to be reckoned as one of the most important precursors of Linnaeus. His connection with Ray dated from his studies at Trinity College, Cambridge; and after concluding his academic life by a brief sojourn at Oxford, and acquiring considerable experience of travel in England, he made an extensive Continental tour in his company. The specimens, figures and notes thus accumulated were in great part elaborated on his return into his Ornithology, which, however, he did not live to publish, having injured a naturally delicate constitution by alternate exposure and over-study. This work was published in 1676, and translated by Ray as the Ornithology of Fr. Willughby (London, 1678, fol.); the same friend published his Historia Piscium (1686, fol.). Willughby died at Middleton Hall on the third of July 1672. "In Ray's preface to the former work he gives Willughby much of the credit usually assigned to himself, both as critic and systematism. Thus, while founding on Gensner and Aldrovandus, he omitted their irrelevancies, being careful to exclude 'hieroglyphics, emblems, morals, fables, presages or ought else pertaining to divinity, ethics, grammar, or any sort of humane learning, and present him [the reader] with what properly belongs only to natural history.' Again, he not only devised artificial keys to his species and genera, but, 'that he might clear up all these obscurities [of former writers] and render the knowledge and distinction of species facile to all that should come after, he bent his endeavors mainly to find out certain characteristic notes of each kind,' while finally, in apologizing for his engravings, he yet not unjustly claims that 'they are best and truest of any hitherto graven in brass.'" "This foundation [of ornithology] was laid by the joint labors of Francis Willughby and John Ray, for it is impossible to separate their share of work in natural history more than to say that, while the former more especially devoted himself to zoology, botany was the favorite pursuit of the latter. Together they studied, together they traveled and together they collected. Willughby, the younger of the two, and at first the other's pupil, seems to have gradually become the master; but, he dying before the promise of his life was fulfilled, his writings were given to the world by his friend Ray, who, adding to them from his own stores, published the Orinthologia in Latin in 1676, and in English with many emendations in 1678. In this work birds generally were grouped in two great divisions- 'land-fowl' and 'water-fowl'- the former being subdivided into those which have a crooked beak and talons, and those which have a straighter bill and claws, while the latter was separated into those which frequent waters and watery places, and those that swim in the water- each subdivision being further broken up into many sections, to the whole of which a key was given. Thus it became possible for almost any diligent reader without much chance of error to refer to its proper place nearly every bird he was likely to meet with. Ray's interest in ornithology continued, and in 1694 he completed a Synopsis Methodica Avium, which, through the fault of the booksellers to whom it was entrusted, as not published till 1713, when Derham gave it to the world. "(Encyclopedia Britannica) Wing W-2880; Keynes Bibliography of John Ray 39; Casey Wood 629; Anker 532 (Latin original 1676); Nissen Die Illustrierten Vogel-bücher 991; Term Catalogue I, 292.