[NATURAL HISTORY]. EDWARDS, George (1694-1773). A Natural History of Uncommon Birds... London: for the author, [1743]-1751 [but ca 1776]. [With:] Gleanings of Natural History....London: for the Author, 1758-1764.

2 works in 7 volumes, 4to (283 x 228 mm), comprising: Natural History, 4 parts in 4 volumes; Gleanings, 3 parts in 3 volumes. Natural History: Each volume with text in French published as Histoire Naturelle bound in at end (see Anker 125). General title with engraved vignette bound in to Vol. I, 2p. list of subscribers in Natural History vol. IV. (Lacking the “Names of Generous Encouragers” and the catalogue on p.53 of vol. I.) Gleanings with general title and text in English and French printed in two columns.

Both works together: 362 continuously-numbered etched plates with hand-coloring (including one plate, no. 335, in fine watercolor facsimile on wove paper), one etched portrait in vol. II. (Scant spotting to a few leaves, without the portrait frontispiece only included in the first issue, see below.) Uniformly bound in contemporary blue straight-grained morocco gilt, spines gilt, edges gilt (some light rubbing and wear, a few neat repairs). Provenance: Crendon Hall (blindstamp on title-page vol. I dated 1850); George Chetwynd (armorial bookplates on pastedowns); City of Liverpool Public Libraries (bookplates on verso of flyleaves and rear pastedowns); Hugh Fattorini (1934-2005), English bibliophile (bookplate).

A HANDSOME SET OF THE FIRST EDITION of one of the most important 18th-century works of Natural History. "At its date of issue, the Natural History and Gleanings was one of the most important of all Bird Books, both as a Fine Bird Book and a work of Ornithology. It is still high on each list" (Fine Bird Books, p.93). Gleanings was published as a continuation of the Natural History, with the plates numbered consecutively. Linnaeus assigned scientific names to approximately 350 birds as a result of Edwards's work.

A Natural History volumes one and two are Lisney’s third issue, published in 1776 by James Robson who acquired all the remaining copies of the work from Edwards in 1769, together with the plates and letterpress; Robson presumably reissued volumes three and four at the same time, though these copies are indistinguishable from those originally published in 1750-1. His reissue of 1776 is notable for the inclusion of two supplementary texts, bound in to the first volume in the present copy: Some Memoirs of the Life and Works of George Edwards. London: for J.Robson, 1776. (Lacking the 4 engraved plates). Zimmer p.529. [And:] LINNAEUS, Carolus. A Catalogue of the Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Insects... contained in Edwards's Natural History ... with their Latin names. London: for J. Robson, 1776. The publication of Edwards's Natural History and Gleanings is complex, and copies are found in a variety of states; the true second edition was not issued until 1802.

Anker 124 (Natural History), 126 (Gleanings), 127 (Memoirs), 311 (Catalogue); Fine Bird Books p. 93; Lisney 190, 195, 198, 201 (Natural History), 192, 197, 200, 203 (French translation: Histoire naturelle), 282 (Memoirs), 288 (Catalogue), 205 (Gleanings vol.I), 208 (Gleanings vol.II); Nissen IVB 286 (Natural History) & 288 (Gleanings); Zimmer pp. 194-6 (Natural History), 198-9 (Gleanings), 401-2 (Catalogue), 529 (Memoirs) pp. 197-8 (French translation).

Property from a Private Southwestern Collection

[NATURAL HISTORY]. EDWARDS, George (1694-1773). A Natural History of Uncommon Birds... London: for the author, [1743]-1751 [but ca 1776]. [With:] Gleanings of Natural History....London: for the Author, 1758-1764.