Amiens, [the author, 1833]. Folio (30.7 x 23.0 cm). 11 unnumbered printed text sheets; 87 (of 88) lithographed plates in fine, original hand-colouring. Original printed wrappers. Preserved in brown cloth clambox (32.5 x 25.3 x 3.6 cm). "Spine" with red morocco label with gilt title.

An extremely rare work on European birds, published by the author in instalments. Ronsil mentions only the first four instalments. Each instalment consists of eight plates showing a single bird, its French vernacular name, an enlargement, and one sheet of descriptive text with French vernacular and Latin names. Titles to the instalments are: [1] l'Ordre premier. Rapaces - Rapaces [first bird of prey suite]; [2] Suite de l'ordre Rapaces - Rapaces [second bird of prey suite]; [3] Suite de l'ordre premier. Rapaces - Rapaces [third bird of prey suite]; [4] Suite de l'ordre premier. Rapaces - Rapaces [fourth bird of prey suite]. [5] Suite de l'ordre premier. Rapaces - Rapaces [fifth bird of prey suite]; [6] Rapaces - Rapaces [sixth and last bird of prey suite] combined with: Ordre deuxieme. Omnivores - omnivores [first "crows" suite]; [7] Suite de l'ordre deuxieme. Omnivores - omnivores [second "crows" suite, including some similar "omnivorous" (song) birds]; [8] Suite de l'ordre Omnivores - omnivores [third "omnivorous" (song) birds suite], combined with l'Ordre troisieme Insectivores - insectivores [first suite of insectivorous birds]; [9] Suite de l'Ordre troisieme insectivores - Insectivores [second suite of insectivorous birds]; [10] Suite de l'Ordre troisieme Insectivores - insectivores [third suite of insectivorous birds]. [11] Suite de l'Ordre troisieme Insectivores - insectivores [fourth suite of insectivorous birds]. Birds of prey thus form a large section of this work, as do passerine birds and other songbirds. Many of the birds shown are larger and more colourful than the average European bird. To be completed, the work should have about fifty instalments, but publications ended much earlier - only fourteen instalments were published, of which this set has the first eleven. Nissen calculated that exactly 50 parts with 400 plates were to be published, but offers no explanation, and records only the first four. Sitwell uncritically lists "400 plates", and dates the work as published in 1833 only. The fine lithographs are by A. Leprince. Several instalments and single plates are published on slightly smaller paper (29.2 x 22.1 cm). Most text sheets partly split at fold; some - mostly marginal - spotting; one plate with a small (2 mm) hole below the caption; lacking the plate of the Chouette effraie. A few plates with the Dutch vernacular name written near the edge at the lower right margin; a few plates with a small, marginal damp-stain or chip, but generally in very good condition; the hand-colouring accurate and strong. OCLC reports copies (without details) in the University of Manchester Library, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Nissen IVB, 910; Ronsil, Bibliographie Ornithologique Française, 2851 (p. 461). Sitwell, Fine Bird Books, p. 146. Neither in Anker, nor in Cat. BM(NH), nor in Zimmer.