Beautiful Birds: Their Natural History; including an Account of their Structure, Habits, Nidification, Etc. Etc. Vol. I-III

London: Houlston and Stoneman, 1854-1856. xx, (188); x, [1], 192; viii, [1], 198, 36 hand-col lithographic plates, wood engravings to text. . HB. 3 vols, small 8vo (170x105mm), cont. full leather, richly gilt, attractive gilt floral border with central bird motif to all boards, spines with gilt titles and elaborate gilt decoration, gilt inner dentelles and gilt tooling to edges of boards, all edges gilt. Minor rubbing / light scuffing to extremities. One or two plates very slightly cropped. All plates with tissue guards. A finely bound, well-preserved and attractive set.. Edited from the Manuscript of the Late John Cotton, Esq., F.Z.S. Illustrations by James Andrews. Includes chiefly British (with a few foreign) birds. This work was first published in 36 monthly parts between 1854 and 1856, each with a finely hand-coloured plate. Very scarce, particularly in this condition.John Cotton (1801-1849) was a British poet, ornithological writer and artist, who emigrated to Victoria, Australia in 1843.Mullens & Swann p. 149; Nissen IVB 207..