Alfred Malherbe | Monographie des Picidées, Metz, 1861-62, 4 vols, contemporary red half morocco by Hammond

Alfred Malherbe

Monographie des Picidées, ou histoire naturelle des Picidées, Picumninées, Yuncinés ou Torcols. Metz: Jules Verronnais, 1861-1862

4 volumes (2 text volumes, 2 plate volumes), folio (538 x 349mm.), 123 hand-coloured lithographed plates heightened with gum arabic by A. Delehay, C. Mesnel, and P. Oudart, contemporary red half morocco by Hammond, spines with raised bands in seven compartments, each with gilt floral motifs, dark brown morocco lettering pieces in second and third compartments, edges gilt, marbled endpapers, some light foxing, marks to upper covers of plate volumes

Although just an amateur naturalist, Malherbe's Monographie was the first authoritative survey of woodpeckers, amongst other important ornithological works. It was considered to be "the best monograph on the woodpeckers of the world... [and] finely illustrated by well-drawn, hand-colored plates" (Wood). 

Alfred Malherbe (1804-1865) was born in Mauritius but moved to France to work as a magistrate. He was a keen ornitholigst and travelled to Algeria and Sicily to study the birds there. His large collection of birds was partially donated to the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta as well as being gifted to the Milan natural history museum.

LITERATURE:

Anker 321; Fine Bird Books, p. 92; McGill/Wood, p. 449; Nissen IVB 587; Zimmer, p. 415