Henry Eeeles Dresser | A History of the Birds of Europe. London: for the author, 1871–1896, 9 volumes, fine lithographed plates

Henry Eeeles Dresser.

A History of the Birds of Europe. London: for the author, 1871–1896

FIRST EDITION, one of 339 copies, 9 volumes including supplement, large 4to (318 x 249mm.), 723 lithographed plates, 721 hand-coloured, including plate 599a not called for by Anker, Nissen, Sitwell, etc., after and by J.G. Keulemans, J. Wolf, E. Neale, and A. Thorburn, contemporary half morocco by R.H. Porter, spines lettered in gilt, some rubbing and scuffing to spines

Dresser's Birds of Europe is the first complete work on the avifauna of Europe since that of Gould (see lot 69). A total of 736 species are dealt with, with Dresser attempting to cover all identified species across Europe, the Azores, Canary Islands and Madeira, North Africa, the Urals, Caucasus, Turkey, Syria, part of Persia and across to the Red Sea.

LITERATURE:

Anker 120; Fine Bird Books, p.72; Nissen IVB 267; Zimmer, pp.177-178