AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY; or, The Natural History of the Birds of the United States. Illustrated with Plates Engraved and Coloured from Original Drawings Taken From Nature. With a Sketch of the Author's Life, By George Ord; F.L.S. &c.

3 quarto text volumes plus a large folio atlas First of the Edition, the second overall with text and plates greatly improved from the first edition published between 1808 and 1814. A copy with pleasing provenance, passed down through the Reath family of Philadelphia, PA, first owned by Thomas Reath who emigrated from Ireland to the United States (1792-1877), then by his son Benjamin B. Reath (1822-1891), then by his son Thomas (1859-1930), then by his son Thomas Jr. (1890-1975) and finally by his son and grandchild. A copy that has remained in private hands since its publication. Beautifully illustrated with seventy-six handcoloured engraved plates, some heightened with gum arabic, by A. Lawson (52), J.G. Warnicke (21), G. Murray (2), and B. Tanner (1), all after Wilson, the most preferred state of the plates. Quarto and Folio, handsomely bound to style in three-quarter polished brown crushed morocco over marbled paper covered boards, the spines with raised bands gilt ruled, the compartments with central ornamental devices gilt, two compartments lettered and numbered in gilt, joins at the covers ruled in gilt, all edges as from the printer, untrimmed. Text: cxcix,[1],230,[1]; vi, [without leaf number vii-viii, as usual], [9] - 456 vi, 396, [4pp. subscribers list at end of third volume]. Atlas: Seventy-six handcolored engraved plates. A handsome set, the bindings in excellent condition, strong and tight and sound and virtually as pristine, the text-blocks all untrimmed at the edges and thus as from the printer's presses, very scarce thus, the paper still very crisp and strong and unpressed, evidence of old damp to the lower blank margins of the leaves rarely touching the text. The atlas folio binding as with the text volumes, in essentially pristine condition, strong and tight, 8 or 9 leaves with some evidence of old damp at the margins, generally primarily noticed on the versos of the leaves rather than on the rectos and generally, not obtrusive. A beautiful and honest set.