America.- Wilson (Alexander) American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of the Birds of the United States, 9 vol., first edition, subscriber's list, 76 hand-coloured engraved plates by Alexander Lawson, George Murray, John G. Warnicke and Benjamin Tanner after Wilson, tissue guards, 2 plates laid-down to sheets, a few with small paper repairs, many with small white ?paint marks (covering repairs or spots), off-setting and browning to multiple leaves throughout, spotting and soiling to others, vol. 1 p.1 with tear and tape repair, several vol. with repairs to hinges, contemporary ?original red half morocco, spines gilt, rubbed, [Anker 533; Fine Bird Books, p.114; Nissen IVB 992; Sabin 104597; Zimmer, p.679], folio, Philadelphia, Bradford and Inskeep, 1808-1814

⁂ First edition, first issue of the "first American bird book with coloured plates published in America" (Fine Bird Books). Wilson has been recognised as the father of American ornithology; in this work the plates, after Wilson's own drawings and whose technique was self-taught, he portrayed more than three-quarters of the species of birds known to have existed in America at that time.