Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America. Intended to Contain Descriptions and Figures of all North American Birds Not Given by Former American Authors, and a General Synopsis of North American Ornithology.

CASSIN, John (1813-1869).

Published by Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1865.

About this Item

Tall 8vo., (10 x 6 4/8 inches). Hand-coloured lithographed frontispiece and 49 plates. Modern half red morocco, gilt by Zaehnsdorf, all edges gilt. Provenance: with the engraved armorial bookplate of Frederick Fermor-Hesketh, second baron Hesketh (1916-1955), on the front paste-down, his sale December 15th, 1999, lot 305. Second edition in book form, first published in parts between July 1853 and June 1855 (with a title-page issued in 1856), was intended to complement the octavo edition of Audubon's celebrated work "The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and their Territories". The annexation of Texas and the addition of California and New Mexico to the United States had led to increased exploration and research in the South West. "At first the Audubons were receptive.however, Cassin wanted shared credit on the title page and a free hand in correcting the errors of nomenclature of the elder Audubon, a touchy point with the sons. In the end, Cassin went on his own, although clearly following the Audubon format and also using J.T. Bowen as lithographer" (Reese). Seller Inventory # 001535

Bibliographic Details

Title: Illustrations of the Birds of California, ...

Publisher: Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1865.

Binding: Hardcover