W. Swaysland - Familiar Wild Birds (Complete 4 Volumes with 160 Colour Plates) - 1901

Complete Set with Attractive Colour Plates

Item Description
Complete set of 4 series all dated 1901. These handy reference books were frequently taken “out in the field”, along with binoculars, in those huge pockets on the jackets and coats of the time.

A lovely set in the original publisher's Arts Nouveau inspired covers. Illustrated with 160 colour plates (40 per Vol) by Thorburn, Kearton et al; more like finished paintings than prints. Several black & white in-text drawings. Illustrated capital letter to each chapter head.

The set include some rarer species such as the Redstart, Capercaillie, Pipit, Dunlin etc. Also for each bird at the end of the section is a further drawing as an end-piece, hence each bird has three types of illustration. The fourth volume contains a section entitled "Eggs and Egg-Collecting" by R. Kearton, plus Classified and General Indices to all four volumes.

Published by Cassell and Company Limited, London, 1901. Original blue cloth lettered and decorated turquoise and gilt in an art nouveau style.


Book Dimensions: 20 x 14 and Number of Pages: 160, 160, 160, 160 + 16 pages of Classified Index and General Index

Condition
Firm and well-bound volumes. Light wear to boards’ corners, and head and tail of spines, with faded marks on some covers. Internally; the volumes are in good condition. A printed name on front free endpaper of all volumes. Pages are generally clean with foxing marks to some pages, and slight tear to the margin of one page. The plates are bright and fresh (Please see pictures).