Lot 78: An attractive set of Dresser's monumental History of the Birds of Europe

DRESSER, HENRY EELES

A History of the Birds of Europe, Including all the Species Inhabiting the Western Palaearctic Region. London: published by the author at 6 Tenterden Street, 1871-81. Similarly bound to match with Supplement to A History of the Birds of Europe, Including all the Species Inhabiting the Western Palaearctic Region, forming Vol. IX. London: published by the author at The Zoological Society of London, 1895-96. Together 9 volumes. Contemporary three-quarters burgdundy morocco over pebbled cloth boards, the spines tooled and lettered in gilt, with raised bands, the top edge gilt. 13 x 10 1/4 inches (33 x 26 cm); with 722 plates, 720 of which are hand-colored lithographed plates by J. G. Keulemans, J. Wolf, and E. Neale, and 2 are plain (without the additional plate 599A not called for in the plate list but present in some sets), additional decorated title pages. Spotting to flyleaves, preliminaries, the bindings rubbed, volume IX with bookplate, the plates generally quite clean.

"By far the best book which has hitherto appeared on European Birds" (Henry Seebohm). Dresser's is by far the most comprehensive and authoritative work on the subject of European birds. The treatise examines over 730 species, many drawn from Dresser's own collection of 12,000 skins and his extensive travels. Anker 120; Ellis 711; Fine Bird Books, p. 92; Mullens and Swann p. 179; Nissen IVB 267; Wood p. 324; Zimmer p. 177.

Collation by volume: Vol. I: xlvi + 102 pp.; Vol. II: 95 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans and text figs.; viii + 644 pp.; Vol. III: 86 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans; viii + 620 pp.; Vol. IV: 91 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans and one uncol. lith. plate; viii + 636 pp.; Vol. V: 78 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans, 9 hand-col. lith. plates by J. Wolf, 2 hand-col. lith. plates by E. Neale, and one hand-col. lith. plate by W. Hart; viii + 668 pp.; Vol. VI: 84 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans, 5 hand-col. lith. plates by E. Neale, 3 hand-col. lith. plates by J. Wolf, and text figs.; viii + 708 pp.; Vol. VII: 73 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans, 15 hand-col. lith. plates by E. Neale, one uncol. lith. plate, and text fig.; viii + 660 pp.; Vol. VIII: 78 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans, 10 hand-col. lith. plates by E. Neale, one hand-col. lith. plate by J. Wolf, and text fig.; viii + 666 pp.; Vol IX: Supplement. 89 hand-col. lith. plates by J. G. Keulemans; xxv + 441 pp.