The Birds of Great Britain, systematically arranged, accurately engraved, and painted from nature; with descriptions including the natural history of each bird 8 volumes in 4, quarto - 1812

London: For J. Johnson, 1812. 8 volumes in 4, quarto. (11 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches). Large paper issue of the second edition. Parallel text in English and French, 336 beautifully hand-coloured etched plates (of which 58 showed eggs) by and after Lewin and his sons, tissue guards. Contemporary half russia and marbled paper boards. Spine with raised bands richly gilt in 5 compartments

"Lewin was the best zoological painter and one of the most practical naturalists of his day" (Swanson).

Lewin has been described as the Dr. Johnson of British ornithology, his Birds of Great Britain being an achievment no less monumental than Johnson's Dictionary in its own field. The first edition of this work was limited to 60 or 66 copies and entirely illustrated by original watercolours. The Second Edition was produced using copper plates onto which Lewin directly scribed the images which were not copies of the First Edition work, but entirely new and very much more detailed. Even as he was still painting birds for his first edition, Lewin was preparing the etched copper plates for the second, a number of the plates being dated as early as 1793. Lewin died suddenly in 1795 having completed only the first 103 copper-plates himself. His sons (Thomas, Thomas William and John William) completed the remaining plates (104-336) after Lewin's death. Plates by his sons started to appear halfway through volume IV, which was first issued in 1797. As stated in the Preface, the birds and eggs are life-sized, where the size of the plate permits, which contributes to his illustratration being celebrated for their accuracy and thus their contribution to ornithology. The First Edition of Birds of Great Britain and their Eggs almost immediately suffered from being broken-up for the individual watercolors, most of which have, as a consequence, been lost. The Second Edition has also suffered in this way and complete copies are now also extremely rare with less than 30 known complete examples remaining.

Anker 306; Fine Bird Books (1990) p. 119; Mullens and Swann p. 351; Nissen IVB 562; Wood p. 435; Zimmer p. 395. (8).