Gould, John.

First edition, 5 volumes, folio (545 x 365mm.), dedication leaf, lists of plates, 360 hand-coloured lithographed plates by and after Gould, H.C. Richter, and W. Hart, contemporary green morocco gilt, gilt edges, occasional spotting (heavy on a few plates), small surface abrasion to upper cover of volume 4

Frederick, 2nd Lord Hesketh, bookplate

Anker 177; Fine Bird Books, p.78; Nissen IVB 380; Sauer 16 and 29; Zimmer, p.258

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

''The Trochilidae of Gould is his masterpiece, and must ever remain a feast of beauty and a source of wonder'' (Fine Bird Books, p.29).

To reproduce the iridescent colours of the hummingbirds' feathers Gould used pure gold leaf over-painted with transparent oil colours and varnish. The birds are often shown in flight, darting or hovering among flowers, in order to bring out every aspect of their plumage.

Gould's own remarkable collection of 1500 mounted hummingbirds was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, during the Great Exhibition of 1851. It attracted 75,000 visitors, including Queen Victoria, who recorded in her diary: ''It is impossible to imagine anything so lovely as these little Humming Birds, their variety, and the extraordinary brilliance of their colours''.

The work was issued in twenty-five parts, followed much later (1880-1887) by a mostly posthumous five-part supplement by Richard Bowdler-Sharpe, not present here.