Histoire naturelle des oiseaux.

10 vol., folio: [6]-xxii-[2]-313-[3], [6]-488-[2], [2]-ii-[6]-282-[2], [12]-405-[3], xi-[1 bl.]-363-[3], xii-582-[2], [2]-xii-435-[3], [2]-viii-412-[2], viii-423-[3], iv-562-[1] pp.; 973 pl. (some foxing, light marg. dampstaining in the end of vol. II, some pp. sl. browned - many to vol. X -, sm. marg. tears to some ff. of vol. IX, pl. of vol. X printed on blue paper).

Contemp. marbled calf (2 kinds of marbling), gilt ruled covers with three fillets, gilt orn. spines with raised bands, gilt edges (joints, heads & tails restored - except front joint of vol. IV -, some other sm. parts repaired, some joints split, head of vol. VII broken, head of vol. IX missing, some sm. traces of use). In slipcases.

First edition with the 973 plates of birds nicely contemporary hand-coloured (and partly heightened with gum arabic) and presented in a frame water-coloured in yellow. The bibliographies and the "Avertissement" (vol. VII, p. ii) call for 1008 plates, incl. 35 in vol. 10 representing insects, butterflies, reptiles, etc., not listed in the table at the end of the volume and not present in this copy. The plates are engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet after the naturalised specimens of the King's Cabinet and show birds from Europe and some exotic birds such as parrots, ostriches, peacocks, etc. Ph. Guéneau de Montbeillard collaborated on the text of the 6 first volumes.
Ref. Nissen (IVB) 158 & (ZBI) 672. - Ronsil 413. - Anker 76.
Prov. John Wingfield Larking (armorial bookpl.). - Wilfrid and Phyllis Jennings-Bramly (id.). - Ms. note erased on front flyleaf of vol. IX.