Gould, John A Monograph of the Odontophorinae or Partridges of America

Gould, John A Monograph of the Odontophorinae or Partridges of America London: Printed by Richard and John E. Taylor. Published by the Author, 1850. First edition, large folio, 548 x 357mm, 32 fine hand-coloured lithographic plates by Gould and Henry Constantine Richter, printed by Hullmandel and Walton, list of subscribers, modern dark green crushed morocco, gilt, by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, t.e.g., some light spotting to title and a few preliminary leaves, a few minor spots to plates Qty: (1) Note: Gould's first monograph on game birds, dedicated to Charles Lucien Bonaparte, the author of American Ornithology, 1825, in which Gould considerably enlarged the number of recorded species of the American partridge family. In the preface Gould says that he was drawn to the undertaking "by the sight of the beautiful Callipepla Californica, presented to the Zoological Society of London by Captain Beechey, in 1830." As with most of his major works, Partridges was originally published in parts (in 1844, 1846, and 1850; with ten plates in each of the first two parts and twelve plates in the third), and was offered on a subscription basis. Upon completion in 1850, a general title-page, preface, introduction, list of plates, and list of subscribers (headed by the Queen) were printed to accompany the plates and descriptive text. Anker 176; Fine Bird Books, p.78; Nissen IVB 376; Sauer 13; Wood p. 365; Zimmer p.257. A very good copy, the plates generally very clean and with bright hand-colouring.