Volume 1:
Title: HISTORY | OF | BRITISH BIRDS. | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY T. BEWICK. | VOL. I. | CONTAINING THE | HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF LAND BIRDS. | [Vignette] | NEWCASTLE: | PRINTED BY SOL. HODGSON, FOR BEILBY & BEWICK : SOLD BY THEM, | AND G. G. & J. ROBINSON, LONDON. | [Price 10s 6d. in Boards] | 1797||
Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank, [iii] iv-xxx, [2] – f.t. / blank, [1] 2-335 [336 advert.] [2 blanks]; vignettes on t.p.’s; head- and tail-pieces; publisher’s advertisement on final p. of v. 1.
Collation: demi 8vo; a-b8, B-Y8; no sigs. A, p. 279 numbered correctly.
Woodcuts: 140 descriptions of birds, 117 figures of birds, 91 vignettes, tail-pieces, etc.
1,000 copies printed. Variant B with a vignette at p. 22 printed vertically. Vignette at p. 285 without bars.
Volume 2:
Title: HISTORY | OF | BRITISH BIRDS. | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY T. BEWICK. | VOL. I. | CONTAINING THE | HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF WATER BIRDS. | [Vignette] | NEWCASTLE: | PRINTED BY EDWARD WALKER, FOR T. BEWICK : SOLD BY HIM, AND | LONGMAN AND REES, LONDON. | [Price 12s in Boards] | 1804||
Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank; [iii] iv-xx, [1] 2-400, [2 blanks].
Collation: Demy 8vo in fours; a2 b-c4, A-3D4; E2, P2, Cc2 insigned.
Woodcuts: 144 descriptions of birds, 101 figures of birds, 136 vignettes, tail-pieces, etc.
Variant C: Vignette on p. 136 in 1st state, vignettes on pp. 269 and 359 in 2nd state.
Binding: speckled full brown calf (restored), contemporary boards ruled in gilt, later spine with raised bands, gilt lettering and florets in compartments, marbled endpapers; 261 woodcut illustrations; printed on wove paper. In both volumes: armorial bookplate of “Clark, Knedlington, Yorks.” with the motto “The time will come” on the front pastedown.
Size: 21.5 x 14 cm, page: 20.6 x 12.6 cm, demi 8vo.
Catalogue raisonné: Hugo (1866): № (99) 94 –120 (108) / pp. 40-58; Roscoe (1953): № 14 a-d, 17 a-d / pp. 46-52 and 65-76.
See later edition in this collection: LIB-0860.2015.
