Verzameling van uitlandsche en zeldzaame vogelen, benevens eenige vreemde dieren en plantgew assen : in 't engelsch naauwkeurig beschreeven en naar 't leven, met kleuren afgebeeld, door G. Edwards en M. Catesby [...]. Thans in 't nederduitsch vertaald en met aanhaalingen van andere autheuren verrykt, door M. Houttuyn, medic. doctor.

9 parts in 5 vol. folio: [4]-xvi-84, [4]-108-[2], [4]-118, [4]-56-56, [2]-90 [i.e. 57]-[7] pp.; 473 pl. (light staining in some margins, stamps to some pls, scattered foxing, marginal tear to pl. 76 in vol. I, small marginal dampstains in the beginning of vol. I and the end of vol. II, very good condition).

Contemporary binding: marbled calf, gilt roll-stamp on the boards, gilt decorated spine on raised bands, marbled edges (professional restorations to spine, turns in and joints, small wears, dampstain on lower board of vol. II).

First edition of the translation by Martinus Houttuyn, somewhat enlarged. Complete of the 473 beautiful plates nicely hand-coloured, with captions in German, Latin and French, showing numerous species of birds (parrots, ducks, owls, hummingbirds, kingfishers...) and also zebras, apes, porcupines, bats, fishes, etc. First published in 1749-1776 in German, under the title "Sammlung verschiedener ausländischer und seltener Vögel [...]", this work is based and translated in all essentials on George Edwards' "A natural history of birds" (1743-1751) and "Gleanings of natural history" (1758-1764) and Mark Catesby's "The natural history of Carolina", provided with copies of the plates of these works engraved by Seligman who enriched them with flora and scenic backgrounds. Ref. Nissen, IVB, 859.- Anker 462 (just mentioning the ed.). Provenance: Maria Victoria Edwards (stamp); bookshop Jacques Lechevalier, Paris (label).