[NATURAL HISTORY] -- [JARDINE, William, Sir (1800-1874), his copy]. A sammelband of 14 offprints by various authors, an autograph letter, and a drawing, collected by William Jardine, including:

Pencil sketch of a bird, signed at lower right "Drawn by Sir William Jardine." -- JOHNSTON, George. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Recent Zoophytes found on the Coast of North Durham. Newcastle: T. & J. Hodgson, 1832. 6 lithographic plates. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO JARDINE. -- LEA, Isaac. "Description of Six New Species of the Genus Unio..." Extracted from: Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series, vol. 3, no. 4. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1830. INSCRIBED TO LADY JARDINE FROM THE AUTHOR. -- TILENAU, Wilhelm Gottlieb Tilesius von. On the Mammoth or Fossil Elephant, found in the ice, at the mouth of the River Lena, in Siberia. London: Wm. Phillips, 1819. WITH JARDINE'S OWNERSHIP SIGNATURE. -- SELBY, P.J. Observations on the New Species of Swan, Discovered by Mr. Richard Wingate, of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Newcastle: T. & J. Hodgson, 16 February 1830. 3 engraved pates. INSCRIBED BY SELBY.

[Also with:] Autograph letter signed ("S.W." Henslow") to William Jardine, 3 November 1835, 1p., old folds. John Stevens Henslow (1796-1861) gifts Jardine the publication (see next entry below) in which he describes in the letter as a "superb beetle." Henslow submitted the beetle to James Francis Stephens for inspection, and in a letter sent from Stephens to Henslow, that is published in A Description of Chiasognathus Grantii, wrote that is "not only perfectly novel to science as a species, but forms the type of genus as interesting from its structure, as it is remarkable for its splendour and coloring."

And 10 further papers of reports, extracts or proceedings of societies, on ornithology, conchology etc, by Selby, Jenyns, Gillies, and others, including several inscribed to Jardine. Together, 14 works, a letter, and a drawing in one volume, 4to (279 x 216 mm). Numerous engraved plates. Contemporary half calf (rebacked preserving original spine). Provenance: Sir William Jardine (presentation inscriptions from authors, ownership inscription to one title); Lord Richard Percy (1921-1989), English zoologist (catalogue entry laid in with note: "Fiona Campbell told me it came from Lord Richard Percy's Library"); sold, The Quentin Keynes sale, Christies, 7-8 April 2004, lot 621.

A SUPERB ASSOCIATION COPY, owned by an important Scottish naturalist and ornithologist with several presentation inscriptions by other notable naturalists including the ornithologist and artist Prideaux John Selby (1788-1867). Jardine and Selby collaborated on several significant works including their most notable joint project, Illustrations of Ornithology (Edinburgh, 1825-1843), a series of beautifully illustrated volumes depicting various bird species. Originally published to compliment Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology (Edinburgh, 1821-33) and in response to the lack of works on non-European avifauna, which as of 1826, there were fewer than a dozen titles published in Europe. Jardine and Selby drew on their wide range of contacts around the world to obtain specimens to illustrate and describe these species, many appearing here for the first time.

Property from the Estate of Peter Fortsas