Beschreibung:

SHELLEY, G. E. The Birds of Africa, comprising all the species which occur in the Ethiopian region. Volume V, Part II completed and edited by W. L. Sclater. London: R. H. Porter for the author, 1896-1906, and Henry Sotheran & Co., 1912 (Vol. V, Part II). 5 volumes in 7, 8° (278 x 180mm). 57 hand-coloured lithographic plates after Henrik Grönvold. (Very occasional light marginal spotting, especially to pl. L.) Volumes I-IV part 2 uniformly bound in contemporary red half morocco, volumes V part 1 and V part 2 in original red cloth (extremities a little rubbed), all with original wrappers bound in. Provenance : Frederick DuCane Godman (armorial bookplate). FIRST EDITION of a work which lists 2534 forms of birds, including several new species. It was issued in eight parts, the first being a classification of all the species known to occur in the Ethiopian region. This copy of volume I includes, mounted on a guard, a letter from Shelley (4pp., 8vo) to the naturalist Osbert Salvin dated "11 Sept 95", requesting a 10-day loan of the proof sheets of Salvin's part of the British Museum Catalogue of Birds, so that Shelley might complete his preparatory studies for the first volume of this work. Salvin was, at the time, collaborating with Frederick Du Cane Godman on the massive Biologia Centrali-Americana (see lot ??). Shelley completed the first part of volume V of The Birds of Africa , but then suffered a stroke which left him paralysed until his death in 1910, when his widow arranged for William Lutley Sclater to continue the work. Although Sclater states in his preface that "It is hoped that the work may be completed in four or five more volumes", no further volumes of the work were ever issued. Nissen IVB 874; Anker 470; Zimmer p. 589; Fine Bird Books p. 108. (7)