General Zoology or Systematic Natural History. Birds (Aves) by Shaw, George and J. F. Stephens

London: George Kearsley et al. A seven volume harlequin collection neatly rebound in new cloth and marbled paper with new endpapers, tall octavo format with copperplate engravings by Mrs. Griffith, as follows: (1) Volume VIII, Part I. London: George Kearsley, et al., 1812. First edition (ix, 357). Tan half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Forty-five copperplate engravings and descriptions of bee-eaters, creepers, hornbills, hummingbirds, kingfishers. (2) Volume IX, Part I. London: G. Wilkie, et al., 1815. First edition (xv, 227). Purple half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Forty-nine copperplate engravings and descriptions of cuckows, trogons, woodpeckers. (3) Volume IX, Part II. London: G. Wilkie, et al., 1815. First edition (xvii, 317). Dark green half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Twenty-nine copperplate engravings and descriptions of finches, buntings, cross-bills, grosbeaks, orioles. (4) Volume XI, Part I. London: J. Walker, et al., 1819. First edition (xiv, 264). Gray half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Seventeen copperplate engravings and descriptions of peacock, turkey, jungle fowl, pigeons, pheasants. (5) Volume XI, Part II. London: J. Walker, et al., 1819. First edition (xxiv, 380). Brown half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Thirty-four copperplate engravings and descriptions of bitterns, bustards, cassowaries, cranes, grouse, and herons. (6) Volume XII, Part I. London: I. & A. Archer, et al., 1824. First edition (282, index). Maroon half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Thirty-five copperplate engravings and descriptions of coots, crakes, curlews, flamingos, ibis. (7) Volume XII, Part II. London: J. & A. Archer, et al., 1826. First edition (267, index). Dark blue half cloth and matching marbled paper, gilt titles, marbled edges. Thirty-two copperplate engravings and descriptions of eagles, hawks, owls, swallows. Occasional off-setting of images and minor foxing as usual, but the images and text are generally clean and bright. The General Zoology was begun in 1800 by Shaw, who died shortly after finishing Volume VIII in about 1812. The Birds, or Aves, portion of the Zoology was completed by Stephens (Blainville completed the section on mollusca and Leach, who also acted as general superintendent, the section on crustacea). While these seven volumes do not comprise the complete Birds section of the General Zoology, the collection comprises more than 240 handsome b & w copperplate engravings by the artful Mrs. Griffith (not the first but one of the busiest early female engravers and illustrators), the text blocks give every indication the volumes have not yet been opened, and the new bindings, neatly done in fancy marbled papers and contrasting cloth, make this an attractive collection indeed.