Beschreibung:

The Avifauna of Laysan and the Neighbouring Islands: with a Complete History to Date of the birds of the Hawaiian Possessions. London: R.H. Porter, 1893-1900. 2 volumes. Folio (369 x 268 mm). [2], xx, xiv, 226; 227-320, 21 pp. With 55 hand-colored lithographed plates most after J.G. Keulemans, 20 collotype and 8 monochrome plates. Contemporary half-morocco, spine titles gilt, original pink printed wrappers bound in at end of volume 2. Binding a touch rubbed, original wrappers a bit faded, but an excellent copy overall. A LANDMARK STUDY OF THE BIRDS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. Limited to 250 copies. Originally issued in 3 parts, Rothschild's treatise was one of the first illustrated accounts of Hawaiian birds, alongside Wilson and Evans' Aves Hawaiienses (1890-99). The work included fifteen new species and several others which are now extinct. Most of the hand-colored plates are after original watercolors by the prolific John Gerrard Keulemans (1842-1912), perhaps the finest bird illustrator of the period. Ayer/Zimmer p 532; Fine Bird Books p 135; Wood p 543.