Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands

London: R.H. Porter, 1897. 8 volumes, large 8vo. (9 7/8 x 6 1/4 inches). Photogravure portrait, xxxix pp. with 421 hand-coloured lithographs and chromolithographs after Foster, Lodge, Keulemans and Thorburn, accompanied by text leaves describing each species. All plates and text-leaves mounted on linen stubs. Three-quarter brown morocco and cloth-covered boards, spines in six compartments with raised bands, lettered gilt, top edge gilt. Binding by Fazakerley of Liverpool

A fine copy of "perhaps the finest and most perfect ornithological iconography" (Nissen)

This important bird book, which "establish[ed] a new standard of excellence" (Radclyffe), contains the work of some of the finest nature illustrators of their day, including J.G. Keulemans and Archibald Thorburn. Lilford, along with Osbert Salvin (1835-1898) who completed the final parts of work after Lilford's untimely death, were co-founders of the British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) in 1858 at Cambridge together with Godman. Alfred Newton (1829-1907), Cambridge don and fellow co-founder of the BOU, provided the preface. The book was published in two semi-simultaneous editions, each of 36 parts, between 1885-1897 and 1891-1897 respectively. Godman appears in the subscribers' lists to both editions.

Anker 308; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.119; Nissen IVB 563; see Howard Radclyffe, "Notes on Lord Lilford's Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands" in Archives of Nat. Hist. (1994) 21(1) 11-16; Wood, p.436; Zimmer, p.399; Freeman 2244; Mullens & Swann pp. 354-5.