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Natural History

We are leading specialists in rare natural history books, particularly the magnificent, hand-coloured volumes on birds, flowers, and fruit published during the Georgian and Victorian periods. We also stock first editions and finely bound copies of important reference works and popular bird and gardening guides.

See: Animals & Fish, Birds, Butterflies & Insects, Flowers & Plants

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  • Charming set of The Fruit Grower's Guide by John Wright and illustrated by May Rivers, one of the classic victorian works of British gardening and fruit trees.
    Charming set of The Fruit Grower's Guide by John Wright and illustrated by May Rivers, one of the classic victorian works of British gardening and fruit trees.

    WRIGHT, John & RIVERS, May.
    The Fruit Grower's Guide. [1891-94].
    £850.00

  • First edition of Edward Donovan's important and beautifully hand-coloured entomological work, Epitome of the Natural Histry of the Insects of China, published in 1798.
    First edition of Edward Donovan's important and beautifully hand-coloured entomological work, Epitome of the Natural Histry of the Insects of China, published in 1798.

    DONOVAN, Edward.
    An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of China: 1798.
    £7,500.00

  • Each beautifully executed flower portrayed is also the subject for a poem which serves as text for the illustration as there are no captions.
    Each beautifully executed flower portrayed is also the subject for a poem which serves as text for the illustration as there are no captions.

    BADGER, Mrs Clarissa M.
    Floral Belles from the Green-house and Garden. 1867
    £2,500.00

  • First edition of this ornithological classic, Walter Lowry Buller's History of the Birds of New Zealand, with 36 chromolithographic plates, published in parts in London between 1872 and 1873.
    First edition of this ornithological classic, Walter Lowry Buller's History of the Birds of New Zealand, with 36 chromolithographic plates, published in parts in London between 1872 and 1873.

    BULLER, Walter Lawry.
    A History of the Birds of New Zealand. [1872-]1873.
    £2,500.00

  • Second and preferred edition of the definitive work on New Zealand birds, Walter Lowry Buller's History fo teh Birds of New Zealand, in the publisher's deluxe red morocco.
    Second and preferred edition of the definitive work on New Zealand birds, Walter Lowry Buller's History fo teh Birds of New Zealand, in the publisher's deluxe red morocco.

    BULLER, Walter Lawry.
    A History of the Birds of New Zealand. 1888.
    £3,500.00

  • An exquisite album of Japanese watercolours depicting 64 varieties of camellia and 12 hibiscus, handmade by Mataemon Shibakawa II in 1933.
    An exquisite album of Japanese watercolours depicting 64 varieties of camellia and 12 hibiscus, handmade by Mataemon Shibakawa II in 1933.

    SHIBAKAWA, Mataemon II.
    Hana yose. 1933.
    £12,500.00

  • A History of British Birds.
    A History of British Birds.

    YARRELL, William.
    A History of British Birds. 1843.
    £850.00

  • Actinologia Britannica.
    Actinologia Britannica.

    GOSSE, Philip Henry.
    Actinologia Britannica. 1860.
    £750.00

  • The edition deluxe of Birds of Arabia by Meinerthagen, one of ten specially bound copies with a unique bird of prey design to the front cover.
    The edition deluxe of Birds of Arabia by Meinerthagen, one of ten specially bound copies with a unique bird of prey design to the front cover.

    MEINERTZHAGEN, Colonel R.
    Birds of Arabia. 1980.
    £5,000.00

  • Ferdinand Bauer recorded not only botanical but also zoological specimens on the voyage to Australia of Matthew Flinders.
    Ferdinand Bauer recorded not only botanical but also zoological specimens on the voyage to Australia of Matthew Flinders.

    BAUER, Ferdinand.
    Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae 1813.
    £40,000.00

  • Containing 40 finely coloured plates, mostly hand signed by Hayes himself.
    Containing 40 finely coloured plates, mostly hand signed by Hayes himself.

    HAYES, William.
    Birds. [1773].
    £16,500.00

  • Pomologia,
    Pomologia,

    KNOOP, Johann Hermann; HUTH, Georg Leonhart (translator).
    Pomologia, 1760 & 1766.
    £6,500.00

  • A first edition of The Dog by William Youatt from 1845.
    A first edition of The Dog by William Youatt from 1845.

    YOUATT, William.
    The Dog 1845.
    £250.00

  • An attractively bound second printing of the standard reference for Australian parrots, Alan Lendon's Australian Parrots in Field and Aviary.
    An attractively bound second printing of the standard reference for Australian parrots, Alan Lendon's Australian Parrots in Field and Aviary.

    LENDON, Alan.
    Australian Parrots in Field and Aviary. 1976.
    £100.00

  • First edition of one of the rarest and most beautifully illustrated botanical works, Alexis Jordan's Icones ad Floram Europae, published between 1866 and 1903.
    First edition of one of the rarest and most beautifully illustrated botanical works, Alexis Jordan's Icones ad Floram Europae, published between 1866 and 1903.

    JORDAN, [Claude Thomas] Alexis; FOURREAU, Jules.
    Icones ad Floram Europae 1866-1903.
    £9,500.00

  • First edition of Jane Loudon's Ladies' Flower Garden of Ornamental Greenhouse Plants, handsomely bound in green morocco by Wareing Webb of Liverpool.
    First edition of Jane Loudon's Ladies' Flower Garden of Ornamental Greenhouse Plants, handsomely bound in green morocco by Wareing Webb of Liverpool.

    LOUDON, Jane.
    The Ladies' Flower Garden of Ornamental Greenhouse Plants. 1848.
    £1,750.00

  • First edition of Jane Loudon's The Ladies' Flower-Garden of Ornamental Bulbous Plants, handsomely bound by Wareing Webb of Liverpool.
    First edition of Jane Loudon's The Ladies' Flower-Garden of Ornamental Bulbous Plants, handsomely bound by Wareing Webb of Liverpool.

    LOUDON, Jane.
    The Ladies' Flower-Garden of Ornamental Bulbous Plants. 1841.
    £2,500.00

  • A lovely set of Edward Donovan's Natural History of British Birds, all first editions save for volume V, in attractive contemporary bindings.
    A lovely set of Edward Donovan's Natural History of British Birds, all first editions save for volume V, in attractive contemporary bindings.

    DONOVAN, Edward.
    The Natural History of British Birds; 1794-1820.
    £7,500.00

  • First edition of The Family Aquarium by Henry D. Butler, one of the first books on aquariums as a hobby, published in 1858.
    First edition of The Family Aquarium by Henry D. Butler, one of the first books on aquariums as a hobby, published in 1858.

    BUTLER, Henry D.
    The Family Aquarium; or, Aqua Vivarium. 1858.
    £500.00

  • First edition of one of the most beautiful bird books ever published, Jean Baptiste Audebert's Oiseaux Dorés ou Reflets Metallaques, one of only 15 copies with captions printed in gold.
    First edition of one of the most beautiful bird books ever published, Jean Baptiste Audebert's Oiseaux Dorés ou Reflets Metallaques, one of only 15 copies with captions printed in gold.

    AUDEBERT, Jean Baptiste; VIELLOT, Louis Jean.
    Oiseaux Dorés ou a Reflets Métalliques. [1800-]1802.
    £38,500.00

  • A pleasingly bound copy of Selous' fascinating investigation into the complexities of the animal kingdom, from microscopic combat among insects, to the aquatic archery of the angler fish.
    A pleasingly bound copy of Selous' fascinating investigation into the complexities of the animal kingdom, from microscopic combat among insects, to the aquatic archery of the angler fish.

    SELOUS, Edmund.
    Romance of the Animal World. 1915.
    £150.00

  • First edition of the lavishly illustrated Fruit grower's Guide by John Wright, illustrated by Mary Rivers, 1891-1894.
    First edition of the lavishly illustrated Fruit grower's Guide by John Wright, illustrated by Mary Rivers, 1891-1894.

    [HORTICULTURE] WRIGHT, John & RIVERS, May.
    The Fruit Grower's Guide. [1891-1894].
    £1,000.00

  • The first edition of botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker's important colour plate book The Rhododendrons of Sikkim-Himalaya, published in 1849.
    The first edition of botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker's important colour plate book The Rhododendrons of Sikkim-Himalaya, published in 1849.

    HOOKER, Joseph Dalton.
    The Rhododendrons of Sikkim-Himalaya; 1849.
    £11,000.00

  • The uncommon first edition of the important and splendidly illustrated medical herbal Historia Botanica Practica by Giambattista Morandi.
    The uncommon first edition of the important and splendidly illustrated medical herbal Historia Botanica Practica by Giambattista Morandi.

    MORANDI, Giambattista.
    Historia Botanica Practica: 1744.
    £5,000.00

  • An attractive, taxidermied tawny owl mounted in a glass case with a naturalistic setting of ferns.

    [TAXIDERMY].
    Tawny Owl.
    £650.00

  • A large and handsome taxidermied pike, mounted in a diorama depicting a stream bed with flowing plants.

    [TAXIDERMY].
    Pike.
    £950.00

  • A handsome taxidermied barn owl mounted in a tree branch in a diorama style case with glass on three sides.

    [TAXIDERMY].
    Barn owl.
    £750.00

  • First edition of Lionel Walter Rothschild's important book Extinct Birds, one of the limited edition of 300 numbered and signed copies.
    First edition of Lionel Walter Rothschild's important book Extinct Birds, one of the limited edition of 300 numbered and signed copies.

    ROTHSCHILD, Lionel Walter, Baron.
    Extinct Birds. 1907.
    £15,000.00

  • An attractive first edition of Duhamel's rare agricultural treatise, Traite de la conservation des grains, in a contemporary sprinkled calf binding.
    An attractive first edition of Duhamel's rare agricultural treatise, Traite de la conservation des grains, in a contemporary sprinkled calf binding.

    DUHAMEL DU MONCEAU, Henri-Louis.
    Traité de la conservation des grains, 1753.
    £175.00

  • A signed limited edition copy of Tony Silva's Monograph of endangered parrots, with 42 plates after illustrations by Gracia Bennish.
    A signed limited edition copy of Tony Silva's Monograph of endangered parrots, with 42 plates after illustrations by Gracia Bennish.

    SILVA, Tony; BENNISH, Gracia (illustrator).
    A Monograph of Endangered Parrots. 1989.
    £500.00

  • First and only edition of Floral Illustrations of the Seasons, 55 fine floral plates by Margaret Roscoe, published in seven parts between 1829 and 1831.
    First and only edition of Floral Illustrations of the Seasons, 55 fine floral plates by Margaret Roscoe, published in seven parts between 1829 and 1831.

    ROSCOE, Margaret.
    Floral Illustrations of the Seasons, 1829-1831.
    £3,000.00

  • An essay on trees in landscape, Kennion, First edition with four additional hand coloured double page engravings, 54 in total, bound in modern half leather
    An essay on trees in landscape, Kennion, First edition with four additional hand coloured double page engravings, 54 in total, bound in modern half leather

    KENNION, Edward.
    An Essay on Trees in Landscape. 1815.
    £2,750.00

  • The standard field guide to the birds of the southern India state of Travncore Cochin by the noted Indian ornithologist known as 'the birdman of India'.
    The standard field guide to the birds of the southern India state of Travncore Cochin by the noted Indian ornithologist known as 'the birdman of India'.

    ALI, salim.
    The birds of Travancore & Cochin. 1953.
    £250.00

  • A rare and extremly fine collection of 115 watercolours by the noted ornithological artist Charles Hayes, produced between 1808 and 1813.
    A rare and extremly fine collection of 115 watercolours by the noted ornithological artist Charles Hayes, produced between 1808 and 1813.

    HAYES, Charles.
    Ornithological Watercolours. 1808-1813.
    £75,000.00

  • A signed limited edition copy of Elizabeth Butterworth's Amazon Parrots, illustrated with 28 colourplates and an original watercolour, bound in publisher's crushed red morocco.
    A signed limited edition copy of Elizabeth Butterworth's Amazon Parrots, illustrated with 28 colourplates and an original watercolour, bound in publisher's crushed red morocco.

    BUTTERWORTH, Elizabeth (illustrator); LOW, Rosemary.
    Amazon Parrots. 1983.
    £5,000.00

  • First edition of Charles Owen's An Essay Towards a Natural History of Serpents, an attractively illustrated book on the biology and cultraul relevance of snakes, published in 1742.
    First edition of Charles Owen's An Essay Towards a Natural History of Serpents, an attractively illustrated book on the biology and cultraul relevance of snakes, published in 1742.

    OWEN, Charles.
    An Essay Towards a Natural History of Serpents: In Two Parts. 1742.
    £1,500.00

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