Skip to content

[Ornithology] [Hand-Colored] Harmonia ruralis: or, An essay towards a natural history of British song birds: illustrated with figures, the size of life, of the birds, male and female, in their most natural attitudes

[Ornithology] [Hand-Colored] Harmonia ruralis: or, An essay towards a natural history of British song birds: illustrated with figures, the size of life, of the birds, male and female, in their most natural attitudes

Click for full-size.

[Ornithology] [Hand-Colored] Harmonia ruralis: or, An essay towards a natural history of British song birds: illustrated with figures, the size of life, of the birds, male and female, in their most natural attitudes

by BOLTON, James ((bap. 1735, d. 1799)

  • Used
  • Fine
Condition
Fine
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Item Price
A$7,560.70
Or just A$7,529.61 with a
Bibliophiles Club Membership
A$7.77 Shipping to USA
Standard delivery: 4 to 8 days

More Shipping Options

Payment Methods Accepted

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • PayPal

About This Item

London: printed for W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, 1830. Quarter-Vellum. Fine. New (and preferred) Edition, "revised and very considerably augmented," of one of the most "luxurious" (Coues) eighteenth-century works on British song birds, with the hand-coloring "so much improved." (Jackson) Two volumes bound in one. Royal 4to (314 x 235 mm): xxiv,66; [2],96,[4]pp, with 81 beautifully hand-colored plates (including frontispiece) of male and female songbirds and their eggs and nests (41 of birds, 36 of nests and eggs, 4 portraying both), drawn and engraved by the author. Quarter vellum over blue paper-covered boards, original paper title label printed in black to spine. Volume I only with light (occasionally moderate) spotting throughout, few marginal chips to title label, but a superb example, tightly bound and generally clean throughout with vibrant hand-color. Sitwell, p. 78. Nissen IVB 115 (for first and Bohn editions). Zimmer I, p. 64 (Bohn edition). Jackson (Bird Etchings), pp.169-80. Mullens, pp. 23-24 (quoting Coues, "perhaps the most ornate, or luxurious, work on British Song Birds of the last [eighteenth] Century"). First published in two volumes, in 1794-96. This edition with a table compiled by Daines Barrington rating 17 different song birds for "mellowness of tone," "sprightly notes," "plaintive notes," "compass," and "execution," with the Nightingale ranking 19 out of 20 for four of the five categories. "Bolton is best remembered as the author of three major works, Filices Britannicae (2 vols., 1785-90), An History of Fungusses Growing about Halifax (3 vols., 1788-90; supplement, 1791), and Harmonia ruralis (2 vols., 1794-6), the illustrations to all of which he drew and etched himself." (ODNB) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).

Details

Bookseller
Fine Editions Ltd US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
BB2326
Title
[Ornithology] [Hand-Colored] Harmonia ruralis: or, An essay towards a natural history of British song birds: illustrated with figures, the size of life, of the birds, male and female, in their most natural attitudes
Author
BOLTON, James ((bap. 1735, d. 1799)
Format/Binding
Quarter-Vellum
Book Condition
Used - Fine
Quantity Available
1
Publisher
printed for W. Simpkin and R. Marshall
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
1830
Keywords
Birds Great Britain Pictorial works. Birdsongs Great Britain.
Bookseller catalogs
XIX CENTURY;

Terms of Sale

Fine Editions Ltd

We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Biblio web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you have any questions, please contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.

About the Seller

Fine Editions Ltd

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2005
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

About Fine Editions Ltd

Fine Editions specializes in First Editions of English and American Literature, Landmarks In Science and the History Of Ideas, Natural History and Color-Plate books, Travel and Voyages, and books on Gardening and Landscape Design. Our hallmark is condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to our antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Near Fine or better conditions and all are highly collectible.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Vellum
Vellum is a sheet of specialty prepared skin of lamb, calf, or goat kid used for binding a book or for printing and writing. ...
tracking-