The Ornithology of Francis Willughby In Three Books. Wherein all the Birds Hitherto known being reduced into a Method suitable to their natures are accurately Described

LONDON : A[ndrew]. C[lark]. for John Martyn, 1678 A very good copy in a high quality full leather binding. With title page in red and black ink; preface; text in 3 books with 2 plates of bird traps bound in, and 2 tables which serve as early identification keys; an appendix; summary of falconry; index and 78 plates of birds (including the dodo) at the rear. This is the first English edition translated from the original Latin which was published in 1676, four years after Willughby's death by his friend and colleague John Ray. It marks one of the first attempts to take a rational, scientific approach to classifying birds. It is a matter of debate, and current research, as to whether Willughby or Ray played a greater part in its development. Ray supervised the publication. The illustrations were commissioned from a number of sources and some birds are depicted twice where the initial image was not very good.This copy lacks the original endpapers - perhaps lost during the later rebinding - but is complete including the additional falconry material. There is some browning to page edges. Some of the plates have some fraying at the very edges where the paper is more fragile. This is most marked in plates LXXVI and LXXVIII - which also has a slight crease.