Description

Half-Leather. No Jacket. Limited/Numbered/signed. Signed By Publisher. Five quarto volumes bound in brown half leather and brown cloth, with raised spines stamped in gilt lettering and small animal motifs at upper and lower quadrants of back-strip appropriate to subject matter of volume. T.e.g., Published by Quartich in a limited edition of 750 sets, this being number 300 , signed by the publisher on the limitation page. Illustrated with numerous wood engravings by Thomas Bewick. The set consists of four titles: A History of British Birds in two vols. [Land Birds and Water Birds]; A General History of Quadrupeds; Aesop’s Fables; and a Memoir. Bewick [1753-1828] was a wood-engraver, apprenticed to, and subsequently partner of, Ralph Beilby. The text for British Bird s was provided by Rev. Mr. Cotes and that of Quadrupeds by Ralph Beilby. Quaritch’s edition represents the first collection of all these titles in a single publication. Book plate of private collector in each volume. Some incidental rubbing at extremities, else a near fine, attractively bound set.