Lot 75: The Birds of New Zealand counted Charles Darwin among its subscribers

BULLER, WALTER LAWRY

A History of the Birds of New Zealand. London: John Van Voorst, 1873. First edition, one of 500 copies per Anker. Original gilt decorated red morocco, the covers and spine stamp with bird motifs. 12 x 10 inches (32 x 26 cm); with 34 (of 35, lacks plate 39 which is provided in color facsimile) hand-colored lithographed plates by J. G. Keulemans, uncolored lithographed frontispiece by A. C. Barker, xxiii, 384 pp., with list of subscribers. A somewhat tired copy, the binding worn, the frontispiece with a split at gutter, two small repairs to title, the plates generally clean but sold as is.

A nicely illustrated monograph on birds of New Zealand. Charles Darwin is listed among the subscribers. Anker 86; Fine Bird Books, p.64; Nissen IVB 163; Zimmer, p.144]