Lot 32 , Bree, Charles Robert. A History of the Birds of Europe, Not Observed in the British Isles. First edition, 1859–67. Four volumes, with 238 colour plates. (4)

Bree, Charles Robert. A History of the Birds of Europe, Not Observed in the British Isles. First edition, 1859–67. Four volumes, with 238 colour plates. (4) London: Groombridge and Sons, Paternoster Row, 1859–67. First edition, four volumes, title-pages dated 1859, 1860, 1867 and 1867 respectively. 4to. Uniformly bound in half red morocco over marbled boards, spines gilt-tooled and lettered, marbled endpapers and all edges gilt. Engraved Hamilton armorial bookplates to front pastedowns and Kenilworth ownership/library stamps to title-pages.

Illustrated with 238 colour plates, as called for, depicting birds and eggs, with tissue guards.

Vol. I: pp. [iii]–iv, 206; Vol. II: pp. [iii]–iv, 203; Vol. III: pp. [iii]–iv, 247; Vol. IV: pp. [iii]–iv, 250, including lists of European birds, bibliography and index.

Reference: Zimmer, Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library, p. 87.
£150-250

Condition:
Bindings sound, with rubbing, scuffing and bumping to boards, spines and extremities; gilt tooling and lettering remain bright. Foxing and spotting, principally to preliminary leaves and title-pages, with occasional spotting elsewhere; text and plates generally clean. Vol. II with black pen marks to contents page; Vols. III and IV with pencil inscriptions to front free endpapers. All 238 colour plates present, as called for.