Histoire naturelle des oiseaux.

10 vol., folio: [6]-xxii-[2]-313-[3], [6]-488-[2], [2]-ii-[6]-282-[2], [12]-405-[3], xi-[1 bl.]-363-[3], xii-582-[2], [4]-xii-435, [4]-viii-412, viii-423-[3], iv-562-[1] pp.; 972 (of 973) + 35 supplementary pl. totalling 1007 (of 1008) pl. (pl. 575 missing in vol. 6, some min. spotting and faint browning, some sm. def. really non obtrusive like sm. tears in paper, sm. marginal damp stains, 2 pasted pp. at the end of vol. 2).

Contemp. mottled calf, triple gilt fillet on covers, centered royal arms of Louis XV, gilt-orn. spines with raised bands, royal cypher on spines, red leather title labels, red edges (spines repaired). Very nice copy.

First edition and one of the rare copies in a binding with the royal arms and cyphers of Louis XV. Spectacular bird book illustrated with 1007 (972, 35) plates of birds nicely contemporary hand-coloured (and partly heightened with gum arabic) presented in a yellow water-coloured frame engraved by the French engineer, engraver and naturalist François-Nicolas Martinet (1731-1800) under the supervision of the French naturalist E.L. Daubenton (1716-1800) after the naturalised specimens of the King's Cabinet. The plates show birds from Europe and some exotic birds such as parrots, ostriches, peacocks, etc. The bibliographies and the "Avertissement" (vol. VII, p. ii) call for 1008 plates, incl. 35 in vol. 10 representing insects, butterflies, reptiles, etc., not listed in the table at the end of the volume, but present in this copy. Ph. Guéneau de Montbeillard collaborated on the text of the first 6 volumes while the Abbé G.L. Bexon assisted in the writing of the final 4.
Ref. Nissen (IVB) 158 & (ZBI) 672. - Ronsil 413. - Anker 76. - Fine Bird Books 83.