History of British Birds [with] A Supplement to the History of British Birds, A General History of Quadrupeds [and] The Fables of Aesop.

Magnificent imperial octavos. An exceptional imperial octavo set, one of only 24 copies of the Land Birds thus, finely bound in crushed morocco. All first editions save for Quadrupeds, which is the fourth and best edition, the first to appear in imperial octavo and with thirteen new wood engravings, textual revisions, and the addition of scientific names. This is variant B of the Land Birds, with the vignette of a jug on page 22 in the horizontal configuration, and the 'indelicate' vignette on page 285 is in the uncensored state. In this copy of the Water Birds all three vignettes noted by Roscoe (pages 136, 269, and 359) match his variant A. The Aesop contains Bewick's facsimile receipt with his thumb mark, the short form variant.

Loosely inserted into this set is a charming typed letter from the Liverpool firm of Henry Young & Sons, Booksellers & Bookbinders, dated June 7th, 1905. It describes this as 'an exceedingly fine copy of the first issue with both the rare supplements... together with the "History of Quadrupeds" and "Fables of Aesop". They make in all 4 volumes, and this is the finest set we have ever seen. The "Quadrupeds", though 4th edition, is really the best edition, as it contains more matter than the earlier issue; and the engravings are very much more carefully printed and consequently finer impressions... This truly magnificent set possesses every essential point necessary to the collector, or to anyone desirous of possessing fine books in the best state obtainable... They differ in many respects from the numerous reprints, none of which can be compared with the original editions, especially the Imperial Paper Issues, which are so rare that, during a business career of more than half a century this is the Only Set that has passed through our hands'. The recipient of the letter, Norman Pringle Todd Esq. of Chislehurst, took Young & Sons up on their offer, and added his bookplate to each volume.

Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) was the leading wood-engraver of his day and indeed one of the greatest of all time. His books were the first illustrated guides that were accessible to the middle class, but they also transcended their subject. The Birds was referred to in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Bewick was referenced by Wordsworth in The Two Thieves: 'Oh now that the genius of Bewick were mine, And the skill which he learned on the banks of the Tyne.'

First editions of the Birds and Aesop, fourth and best edition of the Quadrupeds; 4 vols, 8vo (25.5 x 15.5 cm); approximately 1,000 wood engravings within the text, occasional light spotting, particularly to titles, but overall contents clean; finely bound in green levant morocco, crushed, spines elaborately gilt in compartments with pomegranate and foliate tools, triple gilt rules to boards and turn-ins, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; bookplates, spines browned, uneven fading to boards, light old dampmarks to the Aesop volume, a very good set.

Roscoe (Thomas Bewick: A Bibliography Raisonné).