American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of Birds Inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson

1833. BONAPARTE, Charles Lucien. American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of Birds Inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson. Four volumes . Illustrated with 27 hand- coloured engraved plates after T.R. Peale, A. Rider, and J.J. Audubon (one figure of plate 4) by A. Lawson, all hand-coloured by Rider. Folio, 397 x 305 mm, bound in contemporary American half red morocco gilt. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Carey (volumes 1-3), Carey & Lea, (volume 4) 1825-1833. First Edition, second issue of volume one. Charles Lucien Bonaparte was a nephew of Napoleon, and both a politician and a keen ornithologist. He moved to Philadelphia in 1823 and worked on revising and enlarging Alexander Wilson's American Ornithology. These four volumes were intended as an independent supplement to the nine volumes of Wilson's American Ornithology, and is considered a complete work by itself. It remains a basic text for American bird species and represents Bonaparte's first important ornithological publication. Bonaparte's work is also significant for including the first published bird plate after an original John James Audubon drawing: the female great crow- blackbird on plate 4. Audubon is referred to in the text as "that zealous observer of nature and skillful artist." Usual browning, staining, and offsetting, but not offensive as is almost always the case in other copies of this work, and with the plates, which were printed on better paper, in bright clean state. Altogether an attractive set of this important work. Anker 47. Bennett 16, Fine Bird Books, p. 78. Nissen IVB 116. Sabin 6264. Wood 247. Zimmer, p. 64.