A History of the Birds of New Zealand, limited edition facsimile of the first edition

Wellington, New Zealand: Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, 1983. First edition thus. Leather_bound. Fine. Keulemans. no. 71 of 250 numbered copies, signed by Anthony A.T. Ellis. Leather Bound January 1, 1983
Pp. xxiii, 384, (4, extracts from reviews), (1, note on supplementary plates); tinted frontispiece plate of the moa of New Zealand, 35 fine colour printed plates after colour paintings by Keulemans, some text figures.

Publisher's original full brown leather, elaborately gilt-decorated, spine lettered in gilt and with gilt bird of prey and floral decorations, front cover with centre motif of North Island Takahe with palm trees in the background and with elaborate border gilt decorations, all page edges in gilt, dark brown endpapers,

lg 4to (12 3/4 x 9 7/8 inches).

This fine facsimile was published by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society in a limited edition of 250 numbered copies, this being copy no. 71. It is signed by Anthony A. T. Ellis, President of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. No expense was spared in the production of this volume; it is an accurate and beautiful reproduction of the rare first edition that itself was limited to only 500 numbered copies. According to natural history bookseller Andrew Isles: "A History of the Birds of New Zealand, in either edition, is one of the best, and most underrated, of all nineteenth-century colour plate bird books." See also comments in Anker p. 85; Fine Bird Books (1990) p. 85; Nissen IVB 163; Nissen SVB 83; Casey Wood p. 269 and Zimmer p. 115. No ownership marks and no signs of use.

Wellington: Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, 1983. Limited edition reprint.
Publication date January 1, 1983
ISBN-10 0908582706
ISBN-13 978-0908582709