[NATURAL HISTORY]. MATHEWS, Gregory Macalister (1870-1949). The Birds of Australia. London: Witherby, 1915-1925.

51 parts (of 82) only [including all the supplements], 4to. 293 LITHOGRAPHIC PLATES, MOSTLY HAND-COLORED, by and after J.G. Keulemans, H. Gronvold, R. Green, H. Goodchild, and G.E. Lodge, some heightened with gum arabic. ORIGINAL PRINTED WRAPPERS (some with light edgewear, occasional soiling). Provenance: Henry Boardman Conover (1892-1950), an amateur ornithologist who donated his collections of 18,000 specimens to the Field Museum (bookplate in supplement).

FIRST EDITION, LIMITED ISSUE, one of 225 copies of "THE LATEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMATIC TREATISE ON AUSTRALIAN BIRDS" (Wood). Mathews' monumental conspectus of Australian avifauna was based on John Gould's The Birds of Australia (London: 1840-1869), and illustrates some 100 species not given by Gould; the 5-part supplement comprises a "Check List of the Birds of Australia" in 3 parts, and a "Bibliography of the Birds of Australia" in 2 parts. Matthews' own collection of bird specimens forms part of the Rothschild Collections at Tring. Anker 328; Nissen IVB 605; Whittell, p.490; Wood p.454; Zimmer p.419. RARE IN THE ORIGINAL PARTS.

Property from the Estate of Peter Fortsas

[NATURAL HISTORY]. MATHEWS, Gregory Macalister (1870-1949). The Birds of Australia. London: Witherby, 1915-1925.

[NATURAL HISTORY]. MATHEWS, Gregory Macalister (1870-1949). The Birds of Australia. London: Witherby, 1915-1925.