Oologia Neerlandica. Eggs of Birds Breeding in the Netherlands.

Martinus Nijhoff. -, 191013. 1st. Ed.. Two volumes depicting 667 birds eggs over 191 individually mounted, chromolithograph and heliotype plates. Tissue guards. Collated and complete. Crown 4to. TEG. English text. Bound in half-morocco leather over marbled boards; raised bands, spines richly decorated and lettered in gilt. Spines show a little uniform sunning. Very minor spotting, o/w. contents clean and in fine condition. Boards near fine condition. A very handsome set of this very scarce and highly regarded work. Prov: Francois Haverschmidt (1906-1987), the world renowned Dutch ornithologist - his ownership inscription dated September 1926 on front free endpapers. �A work on the eggs of the birds of Holland, of unusual merits...(it) was issued in an edition of 250 copies, 100 of which were printed in English [the rest in Dutch] (Zimmer II, 651). The work was very well received. A review in the American Ornithologists Union journal �The Auk� (Apr. 1914), said upon the release of the last four parts, �The unusually high standard of both plates and letter press is fully maintained and the work will take its place as one of the noteworthy publications dealing with birds� eggs - an example of what can be done in scientific oological investigation�.