A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds (Supplement)

London: Henry Sotheran and Company, 1887. First edition.. A fine copy with brilliant hand-colored plates in a fine Morocco leather binding.. Pp. (vii), (199); 58 hand-colored lithographs of hummingbirds by John Gould and/or W. Hart, each with a descriptive leaf of text. Full green Morocco leather, spine with five bands, lettered in gilt on two red Morocco title/author labels in two compartments and elaborate gilt-decorations in the four other compartments, front and rear covers with elaborate wide bands of gilt floral designs, outer board edges with single wavy gilt line and gilt turn-ins featuring the same wide band of gilt floral designs, this time framing the dark green silk endpapers, all page edges in gilt, large folio (22 x 14.5 inches). This supplement volume was published in 5 parts of which Part I appeared in 1880, Part II in 1881, Part III in 1883, Part IV in 1885 and Part V in 1887 which included the title page for the Supplement. Gould died after the first part had been issued, but Part II appeared shortly thereafter in the form which he had planned. The completion of this work was then undertaken by the publishers who obtained the services of R. Bowdler Sharpe to write the remaining text, W. Hart to prepare the plates, and O. Salvin to supervise the whole project. Gould had planned to complete the work in four parts for which he had prepared a large number of the plates. It was found that he had underestimated the probable extent of the project and that there were many species yet to be included if the work were to be a complete exposition of all hummingbirds discovered since the publication of the original monograph in 1849-1861. The resulting increase in the text and illustrations required an extra part to be issued (modified after Zimmer, Ayer Ornithological Library, pages 263-264). The 58-fine hand-colored plates in this work were drawn and lithographed by Gould and/or W. Hart and printed by Walter or Mintern Brothers. For more information, see Anker 177; Nissen IVB 380; and Wood p. 365.