Lot 195
Walcott, John
Synopsis of British Birds
Auction: Other Properties | Wed 25 February from 10am | Lots 63 to 255
Description
London: printed by W. Justins … for the author, 1789. 2 volumes, 4to (21.2 x 17.5cm), contemporary marbled calf, avian motifs gilt to spines, Greek-key frames gilt to covers, marbled pastedowns and endpapers, complete with 315 unnumbered leaves including 255 engraved plates (not coloured), and errata slip at end of volume 2, in this copy volume 1 has 123 plates and volume 2 has 132 plates, with 20th-century bookplates of Hugh Fattorini and M. H. Cockell, inscriptions on title pages of both volumes of David Haig F.R.C.S.E., and inscription on title page of volume 1 ‘Westdean[?] Lib 1813,' corner tips of both volumes repaired with loss of original gilt decoration [ESTC N24575; Nissen IVB 966; Mullens and Swann, pp. 606-607; Zimmer II pp. 660-661] (2)
Footnote
‘Descriptions of the appearance and habits of 255 British birds, illustrated by copper-plate engravings of each. One leaf is devoted to each subject, printed on one side only, with text on the lower half of the page and the engraving above … The drawings, with a few exceptions ‘copied from Brisson, and others’, are original, 200 of them from specimens taken by the author, the remainder from specimens in the collections of Parkinson and Latham' (Zimmer).