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GOULD, John. An Introduction to the Birds of Great Britain . London: Taylor and Francis for the author, 1873.
GOULD, John. An Introduction to the Birds of Great Britain . London: Taylor and Francis for the author, 1873. 8vo (215 x 135 mm), 135pp.; 14pp. list of subscribers; 4pp. prospectus on ten other works by Gould. Original red ribbed cloth, gilt-titled on front cover (spine and corners restored). Provenance : John Eleuthère du Pont de Nemours (bookplate). FIRST EDITION OF GOULD'S INTRODUCTION, issued separately from The Birds of Great Britain in octavo format "for the convenience of correction before printing it for the folio work" (p. [i]). Gould's Birds of Great Britain was originally issued in parts from 1862 to 1873, with the final part (no. 25) containing the folio version of his Preface. Apart from the dedication and preface, the octavo Introduction also includes a "general view of 'The Birds of Great Britain" (containing additional information obtained during the progress of the work and notices of those species which occur in the British Isles but are not specifically part of its avifauna), a 4-pp. "List of Subscribers" (which includes the Right Hon. Viscount Hill), and a 4-pp. "Prospectus of the works on Ornithology, Etc., by John Gould." Gould concludes his note "To the Reader" in the present volume: "It should be borne in mind that this 'Introduction' is not intended in any way in substitution for the letterpress already published in the folio work, but rather in augmentation of what is there stated and as a general summary. Those who do not already possess the folio edition will not be able to dispense with it on the acquisition of the present volume, while, it is hoped, it will be found a useful supplement and index." Ayer/Zimmer 261; McGill/Wood 365 (mentions a portrait, not present in this nor in the Norman copy and probably inserted later); Nissen IVB 372 note; Norman 918; Sauer 26.