Histoire naturelle des oiseaux. Nouvelle édition.

9 vol., 4to: 4 (of 8?)-242, vi (of viii)-271, xiv-260, xii-303, viii-282-[1], xii-356, xii-285, viii-256, vi-217 p. ; 263 pl. (top of almost all ff. unopened, some ± important foxing, marg. tear pl. III-29 & in the text IX-169/170, very marg. damp stain at some ff. of v. IV, marg. spot p. VII-43, paper defect in margin pp. VIIIa-161/164 & 193/194, tear with important lack of text IX-117/118).

Modern binding by G. Dubois d'Enghien: three-quarter dark brown shagreen, gilt-tooled spines in the 18th-c. style with raised bands (good condition).

Very wide-margined copy (27,8 x 23,4 cm) of this Dutch edition (1st French ed.: 1770-1783). Complete birds section in 9 vol. illustrated with the same titlepiece, 9 headpieces and 263 plates engraved after Jacques de Sève (active 1742-1788) depicting European bird species and some exotic birds such as ostriches or penguins. The complete set of this edition is in 38 vol. (quadrupeds: 15 vol. + Suppl.:7,- birds: 9,- mineral world: 5,- snakes: 2), which could be purchased apart or together.
Ref. Nissen (ZBI) 678 (262 pl.). - Not in Nissen (IVB), Ronsil, Anker.
Joined, same author, ed., size and binding: 1. Histoire naturelle des quadrupèdes ovipares et des serpens. Nouv. éd. 1799, 2 vol. Complete with 63 pl.-- 2. Histoire naturelle générale et particulière servant de suite à l'Histoire des animaux quadrupèdes. Suppl. tome VII. Nouv. éd. 1799. Complete with 74 pl. (marg. lack of paper pl. 30, error on the title label of the binding: "Hist. des oiseaux. T. VIIb". (11 works in 12 vol., ill. with 400 pl.)