A Monograph of the Hirundiniddae or Family of Swallows by R. Bowdler Sharpe

Author: Sharpe, R. Bowdler 
Illustrator: Claude W. Wyatt 
Title: A Monograph of the Hirundiniddae or Family of Swallows 
Publisher: Henry Sotheran 
Date: 1885-1894 
Place: London 
Dimensions:  4tos. 33cm x 27cm. 

2 Vols. lxx+673pp with 129 plates including 26 maps

Half leather over pebbled cloth, marbled endpapers, 5 raised bands with gilt compartment titles. Boards triple gilt ruled. A touch of rubbing to the leather, corners lightly bumped. Each section is independently paginated. TEsG. Vol 1: occasional spot of foxing (nearly all plates unaffected), and one or two instances of light offsetting. Less than a handful of fingermarks, a touch of soiling to plate C. fuligula. Vol 2: prelims lightly foxed, very small 2mmx3mm chip to the plate P. pyrrhonota. Occasional spot of foxing as with Vol 1. A very good set indeed.

A monograph, according to Zimmer, of the species of swallows known. Originally issued in 20 parts, this edition published by Henry Sotheran has all of Wyatt’s plates of the swallows splendidly hand coloured. 

Armorial bookplate of Mackenzie of Gairloch, a minor Scottish noble family. Possibly the property of Oswald Hanbury Mackenzie, a contemporary of the period who had an interest in ornithology. In his memoirs he devotes a chapter to the Vanishing Birds of Gairloch (1921).

From the library of South African natural history book dealer, publisher and conservationist Russel Friedman.
 
Wood pp565, Zimmer 578. SABIB S110.