Coloured Illustrations of British Birds, and their Eggs. In Seven Volumes

London: Willis and Sotheran, 1857 A good set in contemporary rebacked cloth bindings with 322 colour plates of birds, 102 colour plates of eggs and 8 black and white plates. The original cloth was probably a shade of green but it has sunned. It has been rebacked in a dark green relaying the original gilt-decorated spines which are mostly complete. The bindings are therefore sound and tight but there is a lot of wear to corners with varying degrees of bumping, corner turning, fraying and loss of cloth. Newer marbled endpapers have been added and each volume has an armorial bookplate of K I Beynon to the front pastedown, with the motto 'Gwell Dysg Na Golud' (the original motto of Llandovery College). Internally the volumes are complete and the plates are well-coloured. All the title pages have a small ink signature of Spencer Nicholl to the top. There is sporadic light marking which is mostly to margins, particularly the side margin and occasional foxing to text. The top margin has dark toning at the top edge. Vol I: title; contents; preface; text pp 3-320 with 45 bird and 14 egg plates in colour, and 6 black and white plates. There is a small top edge tear to plate 22; small loss from the side edge of p 119; and the text pp vary from white to toned with some spotting. Vol II: title; contents; text 233pp with 46 bird and 12 egg colour plates. Plate at p 45 lacks guard; plate at 86 has a creased guard; plate at 107 has a loose guard and there is a small paint run to plate at p214. Vol III: title; contents; text 240pp with 45 bird and 13 egg colour plates. Some spotty text and odd marks to guards or verso of plates. Vol IV: title; contents; text 215pp with 45 bird and 15 egg colour plates. Some marking to plate 160. Vol V: title; contents; text 192pp with 45 bird and 15 egg colour plates. Small repaired paper hole at p49. Vol VI: title; contents; text 185pp with 44 bird and 15 egg colour plates and 1 black and white plate. Light foxing. Vol VII: title; contents; text 198pp with 52 bird and 18 egg colour plates, and 1 black and white plate; index pp 199-206. Paper repair to top edge p 49; offsetting to guards.