The Naturalist's Library: Ornithology: Vol. 8: Birds of Western Africa Vol. II

Very good copy of one of two volumes on West African ornithology from Sir William Jardine's ambitious Victorian series The Naturalist's Library

Birds of Western Africa, William Swainson, Vol. II, 34 steel plates by William Lizars after illustrations by William Swainson, 32 hand-coloured, plus hand-coloured frontis and engraved portrait of French explorer Francois Levaillant

With list of volumes (up to Vol. XIX), half title, frontispiece portrait of Levaillant, hand coloured vignette title page with ring-necked parakeets, two title pages, advertisement 2pp, contents 6pp, memoir of Levaillant, text 263pp and 32 hand-coloured plates

Sir William Jardine (1800-1874) was a Scottish naturalist. He is best known for writing and editing the 40-volume series of natural history books, The Naturalist's Library from 1833 to 1866. "In addition to the description and depiction (mostly finely coloured plates) by various well-known contributors to almost the whole range of the subject, the series is supplemented by biographies of famous naturalists of all times and all countries. It is well described as a remarkable little library of early nineteenth zoology, as well as a brief account of the lives of the chief zoologists of all time." (Casey Wood)

William John Swainson (1789-1855), was an English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist, and artist. He wrote and illustrated many zoological books including Zoological Illustrations 1829, Fauna Boreali-Americana 1831, three volumes of the Naturalist's Library on Birds of Western Africa 1837 and Flycatchers 1840, Exotic Conchology 1841, etc.

Original brown cloth binding sunned, amateurishly rebacked with brown tape and original gilt title reapplied, original green endpapers, but book block solid, many text pages uncut. Faint age-toning and spotting to text pages and plates, but the steel engravings clean and bright with delicate handcolour.

Very good copy of this handsome guide to British birds.