Books about British birds: 1850-1899

Books About Birds

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Sketch-Book Of British Birds R. Bowdler Sharpe Illustrations: A.F. and C. Lydon Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge 1898 280 pages with a systematic list of British birds and numerous colour illustrations. Authors preface: This little work will, I trust, be found useful as a Sketch-book of the Birds of Great Britain. Its limits have not allowed of my attempting; a full history of the species, and I have but added a few notes as a running commentary on the little pictures which Messrs. A. F. and C. Lyndon have provided. The Systematic Index is, I believe, the most complete record of the birds in the 'British List' yet published. It contains the two latest additions to the British Avifauna, Herbivocula schwarzi and Munia atricapilla, and brings the total number of species to 445.

Birds Of The British Isles Drawn and described by John Duncan Introduction: Charles Dixon Walter Scott Ltd, London 1898 450 pages with approximately 400 black and white illustrations. There is an illustration and short piece of text for each species. From the authors preface: THE drawings of British Birds which appear in this work were originally published in the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, extending over a period of nearly ten years. Numerous correspondents of that paper expressed the wish that, when the series was completed, the drawings, with descriptions of the birds, should be published in book form. It is mainly in response to repeated suggestions of this kind that the present work is offered to the public. The birds were drawn with the view of giving students of nature a strictly accurate representation of each specimen, with as much detail as was considered necessary for identification. Although every endeavour has been made to indicate the various markings of the feathers, bill, feet, etc., I venture to think that in no instance have I sacrificed artistic completeness for mere elaboration. The classification is based on a simple plan, and I hope that the general reader will appreciate the system adopted. The explanatory notes that accompany each drawing are brief, but nothing material has been omitted. In the great majority of cases the drawing and colouration of the adult male bird in summer plumage is given ; but in many instances the adult female and young are also described. The Appendix contains the names of birds which are said to have occurred in a wild state in the British Isles, but the claims of which to be included in the British List are doubtful.

Coloured Figures Of The Birds Of The British Islands Issued by Lord Lilford Illustrations: A. Thorburn, J.G. Keulemans and others R.H. Porter 1898 An 8 volume work that collects colour plates and accompanying text that were originally printed and supplied to subscribers in 36 parts between 1885 and 1897. The first 7 volumes comprise the previously circulated plates and text. The 8th volume adds appendices and an index. The volumes are as follows: Volume 1: Raptors and Owls, 51 colour plates Volume 2: Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Nightjars, Swifts, Crows, Shrikes, Swallows, Tits, Wrem, 54 colour plates Volume 3: Sparrows, Thrushes, Warblers, Dipper, Wagtails, Pipits, 66 colour plates Volume 4: Larks, Buntings, Finches, Doves, Grouse, Pheasants, Partridge, Rails, 65 colour plates Volume 5: Bustards, Waders, 59 colour plates Volume 6: Terns, Gulls, Skuas, Auks, Divers, Grebes, Petrels, Shearwaters, 65 colour plates Volume 7: Cormorant, Herons, Storks, Ibis, Wildfowl, 61 colour plates

British Birds With Their Nests And Eggs Arthur G. Butler Illustrations: F.W. Frohawk Brumby & Clarke, London 1898 Published in six volumes. With many full page black and white species illustrations and a small number of colour illustrations of eggs.

The Birds of Our Country H.E. Stewart Illustrations: A. Thorburn, J. Giacomelli, G.E. Lodge, K. Keyle and R. Kretschmer Digby, Long & Co. 1897 "The object of this work is to give to the young collector a book which will not be beyond his means and which at the same time will contain an account of all the birds which he is likely to meet with in the British Isles. Some years ago scholastic work took me to a school on the borders of the New Forest in Hampshire. Natural history pursuits always occupied a prominent place among the recreations of the boys, and many an enjoyable day was spent rambling through the Forest in search of something which might be deemed worthy of a place in our collections, and possibly of a paragraph in a natural history paper to be read at one of our social evenings afterwards. At another time our excursion would be directed through Harewood to Andover, or over the Downs to Salisbury, or we would even run down to Southampton and, crossing the Solent, spend an enjoyable day roaming over part of the beautiful Isle of Wight in pursuit of our favourite hobby. Perhaps no county in England affords such scope to ornithologists as sunny Hampshire. On all these occasions our "takes" were carefully recorded, and anything of special interest made a note of, much of the present work being the outcome of these enjoyable summer excursions. In compiling the book, reference has been made to the writings of Seebohm, Hewitson, Bewick, Morris, Gilbert White, Atkinson, and others, to whose works I am indebted for assurance where my own information has been scanty. Throughout the work the classification of Seebohm has been followed, the common birds of each family being taken first; while the rare birds which have only visited our shores a few times have been mentioned at the end of each group, in order to make the book as complete as possible. The family Passeridae has been placed first, since it contains the greatest number of our better known birds. Wherever a bird is described, the description, unless otherwise stated, is that of the male.

Our Favourite Song Birds: Their Habits, Music, And Characteristics Charles Dixon Illustrations: Henry Stannard Lawrence & Bullen 1897 Preface: "The ever-increasing interest which birds excite, the ever-widening circle of students and admirers they continue to attract, is most eloquent testimony to the exceptional charm of Ornithology as a science. Of all wild creatures Birds are incomparably the popular favourites. Their engaging ways, their comings and their goings at appointed times and seasons, their gay colours, their beautiful nests and pretty eggs, their domestic affections and ties, and above all their wonderful music, attract the least sentimental among us, arouse our sympathies, and charm the majority of us to a degree unapproached by any other living forms. The music of the fields and woodlands is one of the most gratifying pleasures of the country. The variety of these songs is great, their beauty a refreshing and perennial one. But vast numbers of people to whom the songs of birds are a constant source of delight, know very few of these singers by name; they are at a loss to identify them, although familiar enough with many of their songs, and are practically ignorant of their habits and economy. The present volume has been written to furnish just the popular information respecting our favourite song birds that the less informed average observer would like to acquire. It is neither an ambitious nor a scientific treatise, but a simple guide to the characteristics, the songs, and the habits of those common birds of ours whose voices at one season of the year or another gladden almost every country stroll. That it may prove a pleasant and informing companion to these rambles is the hearty wish of its author, who has used every endeavour to make it so."

Among British Birds In Their Nesting Haunts : Illustrated By The Camera Oswin A.J. Lee David Douglas Published in 4 volumes 1896-1899 4 volumes with approximately 800 pages with approximately 150 black and white photographs and 80 black and white vignettes. From the authors introduction: Some years ago I determined to collect, if possible, a complete series of Photographs, which would possess the accuracy of a scientific work on the nesting habits of birds, and yet be sufficiently attractive for the ordinary lover of birds. It is with this idea that I have ventured to publish these Photographs, with short descriptions of the habits of the birds at the nests, the finding of them, the materials of which they are formed, and the methods employed in getting faithful photographs of those more difficult of access, some of which e.g. the Heron on its nest were only secured after hours of anxious watching and much patience. It is no easy matter to photograph some of our birds' nests so as to combine a pleasing effect with strict accuracy, some of the tree-breeding species being exceptionally unapproachable..

A Concise Handbook Of British Birds H. Kirke Swann John Weldon & Co 1896 This may be a second edition. 200 pages. No illustrations.

British Sea Birds Charles Dixon Illustrations: Charles Whymper Bliss, Sands And Foster 1896 290 pages guide with 8 black and white plates. There are 8 chapters in this books. Gulls and terns Plovers and sandpipers Guillemots, razorbill, and puffin Divers, grebes and cormorants Ducks, geese and swans Petrels Littoral land birds Migration on the coast.

Supplement To A History Of The Birds Of Europe Forming Volume IX Additional Species Found To Occur In The Western Palearctic Area Henry E. Dresser Illustrations: J.G. Keulemans, J. Wolf, E. Neale, and others Published by the author 1895-1896 From the preface: "Since the completion of the 'Birds of Europe,' I have several times contemplated the issue of a Supplement, but have deferred so doing until I had collected sufficient material to make a volume at least as large as any one of those forming the original work. It was suggested to me by more than one subscriber that I should revise each article in the original work, bringing the same up to date; but I found that a thorough revision, adding all the material that has since accumulated, would fill at least three if not four volumes, and that it would really be tantamount to bringing out a new edition, and I have therefore preferred merely to treat of such species as have to be added to those in the original work, and should a new edition be required I shall probably issue the same in the form of a concise handbook, condensing the information into as small a space as possible."

British Birds W.H. Hudson Chapter on structure and classification: Frank E. Beddard Longmans, Green & Co. 1895 360 pages with 8 colour plates by A. Thorburn, 8 black and white plates by G.E. Lodge and over 100 smaller black and white drawings by Lodge. From the authors introduction: The plan followed in the descriptive portion of this work has, I trust, the merit of simplicity. A brief account is given of the appearance, language, and life-habits of all the species that reside permanently, or for a portion of each year, within the limits of the British Islands. The accidental stragglers, with the irregular or occasional visitors, have been included, but not described, in the work. To have omitted all mention of them would, perhaps, have been to carry the process of simplification too far. And as much may be said of the retention in this book of Latin, or science names. The mass of technical matter with which ornithological works are usually weighted is scarcely wanted in a book intended for the general reader, more especially for the young. Nor was there space sufficient to make the work at the same time a technical and a popular one : the briefest description that could possibly be given of the characters of genera would have occupied thirty to forty pages. The student must, in any case, go to the large standard works on the subject, especially to those of Yarrell (fourth edition), Seebohm, and Howard Saunders, which are repositories of all the most important facts relating to our bird life, gathered from the time of Willughby, the father of British ornithology, down to the present.

A Handbook To The Birds Of Great Britain R. Bowdler Sharpe W.H. Allen & Co 1894 to 1897 Published in four volumes, one each year between 1894 and 1897. The complete work has approximately 1000 pages and 124 colour plates. From the authors preface to vol. 1: EVERY ornithologist who, in the course of his career, may be called upon to write a book upon British Birds, will always find this to be one of the most interesting, but certainly one of the most difficult, tasks which he has ever undertaken. He is sure to discover that not only is the path well-worn, but that the work of his many predecessors has been so well done that little chance of originality remains to him. No country in the world has had more excellent books written about its birds than Great Britain, whether we consider illustrated works, such as those of Selby and Gould, or the attractive " Coloured Figures of British Birds," now being published by Lord Lilford ; or the many exhaustive books on the life-histories of our native birds, such as those of Macgillivray, Yarrell, and others ; or the excellent works on eggs published by Hewitson and Seebohm.

British Birds: Being Coloured Illustrations of all the Species of Passerine Birds Resident in the British Isles Claude W. Wyatt William Wesley & Son 1894-1899 Published in two volumes. 67 coloured plates drawn by the author and coloured by "the Misses Sharpe".

The Smaller British Birds with Descriptions of their Nests, Eggs, Habits, etc, etc H.G. and H.B. Adams Gibbings & Company Limited 1894 250 pages with 30 full page colour plates. From the authors introduction: Our present endeavour is to produce a book which shall give a concise, yet sufficiently full description of the smaller British Birds; not a scientific book, but one essentially popular in its character, rendered attractive by life-like portraits of our feathered clients, drawn and coloured as closely to nature as the eye and the hand of the artist can make them, and arranged in groups which shall at once show their relationships with each other, and affinities with the whole ornithological system. A book that shall be sufficiently cheap for young purchasers; sufficiently beautiful for the abodes of the wealthy; sufficiently simple and clear in its descriptions to interest the young, and be understood by all; sufficiently accurate to obtain the approval of the scientific teacher. We do not claim for it the character of an educational manual, but that of an agreeable companion for the woods and fields, as well as for the wintry fireside.

The Nests And Eggs Of British Birds When And Where To Find Them: Being A Handbook To The Oology Of The British Islands Charles Dixon Chapman & Hall Illustrated "large paper" edition 1894 This book was first published, without illustrations, in 1893. From the preface: "The following pages deal exclusively with the birds that breed within the confines of the British Archipelago ; consequently the student will find several familiar species omitted, the Fieldfare and the Redwing for example, they having no claim whatever to be considered in a work which professes to be a Handbook to the Oology of our islands alone. The idea of a work on the Nests and Eggs of British Birds occurred to me some twelve years ago ; and from that time to the present I have been carefully collecting facts, examining specimens, and so on, with the object of forming a comprehensive handbook to British Oology. The results of my studies are now presented to the reader in the following pages. Most of my information has been obtained from personal observation ; and with very few exceptions I have taken with my own hands nests and eggs of all our British species ; whilst with most of them I have extended my observations over periods of many years."

The Nests And Eggs Of Non-Indigenous British Birds Or Such Species That Do Not Breed Within The British Archipelago Charles Dixon Chapman & Hall 1894 With a coloured frontispiece From the preface: "The present work forms the companion volume to The Nests and Eggs of British Birds, and renders the subject of British Oology complete, so far as our knowledge now extends. It deals exclusively with the nidification of the birds that do not breed in the British Archipelago, but visit our islands regularly in winter, pass the coasts on passage, or pay them their more or less irregular visits as wanderers from their normal areas of dispersal. I have spared no pains to make the subject as complete and full of information as possible; but, as the student will eventually discover, there still remains a vast amount of work to be done, which will take years and years of further study to accomplish. Of the birds that breed in civilized areas our information is fairly complete, although even here many details are wanting respecting the habits of birds in the pairing and breeding seasons, the number of broods reared, and the duration of the periods of incubation. When we come to deal with species that spend the summer in the Arctic regions, or dwell permanently in deserts, and in countries little explored by the scientific naturalist, our want of information becomes only too woefully apparent. I am sanguine enough to hope that by pointing out the deficiencies in our knowledge, I may stimulate observation, and thus help in one way to reduce them."

Birds Of The Wave And Woodland Phil Robinson Illustrations: Charles Whymper and others Isbister & Company Limited 1894 Opening lines: If we had to distribute the Seasons amonor the birds that are called " British," selecting a notable fowl to represent each, we could hardly overlook the claims of the cuckoo, the nightingale, and the swallow to distinction. But, after all, these are not "thorough Britons." They only come to us for our summer, and when that goes they follow it. Though great numbers of them are British-born, they are at best only Anglo-Continental, Anglo-Asiatic, Anglo-African, and Inter-Oceanic. But our resourceful little islands give us native birds, all our own, that amply serve the Seasons, and represent, with sufficing charm, the changing Four, We have the thrush, the blackbird, the skylark, and the robin, four of the sweetest birds that the round world can show .... .... The thrush is pre-eminently our bird of spring. While the snow-drops, the " Fair Maids of February," are still in early bloom, and before the crocus has lit its points of flame or the primrose its pale fires, and while " the daffodils that come before the swallow dares " are scarcely in their bud, the thrush has burst forth in full song, its burden the " news of buds and blossoming." There is little that is green yet in copse and hedge : few tiowers worth a child's picking are to be seen. But he is too full of his olad evanoel to be able to keep from singing.

The Nests And Eggs Of British Birds When And Where To Find Them: Being A Handbook To The Oology Of The British Islands Charles Dixon Chapman & Hall 1893 An illustrated edition of this book was published in 1894. From the preface: "The following pages deal exclusively with the birds that breed within the confines of the British Archipelago ; consequently the student will find several familiar species omitted, the Fieldfare and the Redwing for example, they having no claim whatever to be considered in a work which professes to be a Handbook to the Oology of our islands alone. The idea of a work on the Nests and Eggs of British Birds occurred to me some twelve years ago ; and from that time to the present I have been carefully collecting facts, examining specimens, and so on, with the object of forming a comprehensive handbook to British Oology. The results of my studies are now presented to the reader in the following pages. Most of my information has been obtained from personal observation ; and with very few exceptions I have taken with my own hands nests and eggs of all our British species ; whilst with most of them I have extended my observations over periods of many years. In the present volume I have endeavoured to foster Oology as a science, not to encourage the indiscriminate collecting of these beautiful objects from the promptings of a mere bric-a-brac mania. The nest and eggs of a bird to a great extent reflect the life-history of the bird itself, and vividly illustrate no unimportant part of that bird's economy."

British Birds: Key List Liet.-Colonel L. Howard Irby R.H. Porter, London Second edition 1892 63 page annotated list of British birds with no illustrations. From the introduction: This attempt at a Key List of british Birds is not intended for scientific ornithologists, but for those who have only a slight knowledge of birds, so as to enable them to determine a species without having to search through bulky volumes.

The Birds Of Our Rambles A Companion For The Country Charles Dixon Illustrations: A.T. Elwes Chapman & Hall 1891 Contents. Ramble I: Round About The Homesteads, The Highways, And The Rocks, Ramble II: In Garden, Park, And Shrubbery, Ramble III: Along The Lanes And Hedgerows, Ramble IV: Across The Open Fields And Downs, Ramble V: Through The Woods, Ramble VI: By Lakes And Streams, Ramble VII: On The Moors, The Commons, And The Heaths, Ramble VIII: Up The Mountains, Ramble IX: Over The Broads And Swamps, Ramble X: Along Rock-Bound Coasts. Ramble Xi:By Sandy Shores. From the preface: "The present little volume must be looked upon as an introduction to the study of Field Ornithology, rather than as an exhaustive treatise on the habits of Birds. It has been written with the earnest endeavour to supply what I believe to be a wide-felt want a handy book about British Birds, so arranged that these creatures may be readily identified in the various haunts they affect. In a subject of this nature the identification of the species is the most important item ; and this I have tried to render easy by directing the observer's attention to whatever is most likely to attract his notice, or to be impressed upon his mind the notes, the general appearance, or peculiarity of habit, being seized upon to introduce the birds to him. Then, having once done that, I have sought still further to stimulate his interest in them by supplying some of the most salient features in the economy of each. The vast extent of the subject prevents much detail being given; but I venture to assert that when the student has mastered the information furnished he cannot fail from being fairly well conversant with the habits, notes, and appearance of the birds that regularly inhabit our country. Of the pleasure derived during the process of acquiring this information concerning our feathered friends, it would be impossible to speak with any exaggeration of its intensity. Of all living creatures that in the wilds do dwell, Birds appeal most forcibly to our notice. They are the most apparent wild creatures of our rambles, and not only so, they are universal in their distribution. No description of scenery is devoid of Birds; they are alike the life of the wilderness, and the charm of more homely country."

An Illustrated Manual of British Birds Howard Saunders Illustrations: G. E. Lodge and other Gurney & Jackson 1889 From the preface: "The plan of a work in which exactly two pages are devoted to each species, may justly be called Procrustean; and, unfortunately for the author, the limited space at his disposal has often been encroached upon owing to the length of an engraving, whereas extension of the text has rarely been called for. Little idea, for instance, can be formed of the labour involved in an article like that on the Crossbill, wherein the necessary consideration of the distinctive features of several local races increased the difficulty of sketching briefly the history of a remarkable bird. In this and similar cases, when four lines in excess meant as many hours of hard work in condensing, the writer has sometimes been tempted - in the interest of his readers as well as in his own - to deviate from the original scheme; yet any such concession must necessarily have led to an increase in the bulk and the expense of the work. Even now, the low price is due to the fact that the publishers own the blocks from which the illustrations were struck for the four editions of Yarrell's ' British Birds ' ; though to these have been added wood-cuts of many recent wanderers to Great Britain, such as the Isabelline, Blackthroated and Desert Wheatears, the Barred Warbler, Wall-Creeper, Needle-tailed Swift, Lesser Kestrel, Killdeer and Sociable Plovers, and Mediterranean Black-headed Gull; while fresh engravings have taken the place of the unsatisfactory originals of the Marsh-Harrier, Gos-Hawk, Merlin and Great Auk. Great liberality has also been shown by the publishers in placing no restriction on alterations whenever the slightest improvement was thereby attainable. For example, a scrap of information, obtained by mere chance, led to the re-writing of the article on the Blue-throat at the last moment, and that too for reasons which nine in ten of my readers might, perhaps, consider inadequate; the tenth, however, would appreciate the need for strict accuracy, and it is his intelligent approbation that I have striven to deserve."

Bird Life In England Edwin Lester Arnold Chatto & Windus 1887 From the introduction: "In these pages I have attempted to give a somewhat unconventional view of bird life in England and her sister kingdoms to north and west. The naturalist may smile at a monograph so incomplete as this, but in Yarrel, Morris, Gould, Grey, and a score of others, he will find exhaustive authors who have gone with infinite care and pains through the whole list of British birds and epitomized each. No attempt of this sort has been made here. There are, to begin with, more than three hundred birds nesting with greater or lesser frequency in our islands, and even at such modest allotment as two pages to each, we should have at once a bulky volume of six hundred pages. But the greater part of these wild fowl of meadow and marsh are the curator's birds alone, and lovers of country side and the life of copse and dingle can only hope to meet with but a very much reduced selection from the formidable list which professors and students have put together. It is of these birds, the more familiar ones, I write."

A History Of British Birds, With Coloured Illustrations Of Their Eggs Henry Seebohm R.H. Porter 1883-1885 Published in 4 volumes. Volumes 1 to 3 comprise the descriptions of the species with some black and white illustrations. Volume 4 comprises coloured plates of eggs. From the authors introduction: The number of books which have been published on British birds is so great that it might be thought that every thing that could be said on the subject had been already well said. But such is the rapid progress which ornithology has made during the last few years that even the earlier portions of Dresser's Birds of Europe and Newton's edition of Yarrel's British Birds are quite out of date. Not only have many important gaps in the geographical distribution of some of our commoner birds been filled up, and a large part of the history of some of the rarer ones been discovered, but in many respects I have found it necessary to look upon the whole subject from a different point of view. The arguments in favour of the theory that the species of animals now existing in the world were evolved by natural laws, some of which we have discovered, from species of a more primitive type which lived in remote geological ages are so irresistible that it is impossible to ignore them. At the first glance it would seem that the development of a species was a subject quite apart from its present history; but it will be found that this question of the development of species by evolution is one which lies at the foundation of all inquiries into the history of individual species; and when it is answered in the aflirmative, the study of ornithology is found to possess a new interest, many obscure points become comparatively clear, and the old treatment of the subject requires modifying in various ways.

A List Of British Birds Compiled by a committee of the British Ornithogists' Union John Van Voorst 1883 229 page annotated list of British birds. From the introduction: The present list enumerates 452 species, of which 76 are included in square brackets, leaving 376 species as the ascertained number of British birds. These 376 may be divided into four categories : Residents, which are found throughout the year, and actually breed in some part of the British Islands. Summer Visitors, which visit these islands in summer and breed within their confines. Winter Visitors, which visit us in winter, but do not breed here. Occasional Visitors, which are only of irregular occurrence, but are met with in our islands with more or less frequency.

Sketches Of Bird Life; From Twenty Years Observation Of Their Haunts & Habits James Edmund Harting Illustrations: Wolf, C. Whymper, Keulemans, Thorburn W.H. Allen & Co 1883 From the introduction: No matter what the time of year, or place, in which we take a country ramble, some feathered favourite, we may be sure, will greet us with welcome note, or arrest our attention by some peculiarity of habit. In the early spring, as we wander through the larch plantations just coming into leaf, the songs of the Blackcap and the Garden Warbler reach the ear before we can see the authors of the notes'; and, behind the ambush of the nearest tree, we have not long to wait before we are enabled to catch a glimpse of the tiny summer visitors which annually perform their marvellous journeys from the south to pass the summer in our sea-girt isle. Lower down in the brake, where the tangled briars have caught and held the wind-strewn leaves of the past year, forming a pleasant couch for the outlying rabbit, the liquid notes of the Nightingale are heard, now mournfully prolonged, anon hurriedly brought to a close at our approach, until, as curiosity prompts a closer inspection, the dull-brown bird quits its ambush, and flying low for a few yards is again lost to view amongst the dense underwood. From the top of a larch tree the Thrush pours forth its varied melody, making the woods resound, and the challenge is taken up by a rival in the next plantation. The startled Blackbird, as we quit the copse, flies hurriedly down the ditch with noisy vociferation, and pausing for a moment upon a gatepost, with many a flirt of the tail, dashes wildly into cover again and disappears. In the hedgerows, as we pass along and mark the budding whitethorn, the restless, garrulous Whitethroat comes suddenly into view, and, poised for an instant upon a topmost spray, stands out against the sky, a very picture for soft colouring and graceful outline. Near the farmstead on a bough overhanging the rickyard sits the Greenfinch, giving forth its monotonous though not unpleasant call-note, occasionally dropping down amongst the Sparrows to share a meal with them. Hard by a pair of Robins have decided upon a nest in the woodstack, where for the last two years they have successfully reared their young. From the leafy branches of an elm is heard the spring song of the Chaffinch, whose conspicuous colours and active habits do not suffer him to remain long unrecognised.

Familiar Wild Birds Fourth Series W. Swaysland With colour plates and many black & white illustrations: A. Thorburn, E. Turck and others Cassell & Co 1883 Preface: "This concluding volume of 'Familiar Wild Birds' contains still more examples than its predecessor of birds which are, alas, 'familiar' no longer. May it prove, perchance, that to make some of these now rarer denizens of Britain better known is to secure for them some better protection from that final extinction which has already overtaken not a few; and may this attempt to convey some idea of the wonderful variety of bird-life help to promote the loving study rather than the total destruction of those 'wild birds' that remain. To a General Index is added, at the request of many subscribers, a classified scientific index of the birds described in all the four volumes, arranged according to the most recent system."

Familiar Wild Birds Third Series W. Swaysland With colour plates and many black & white illustrations: A. Thorburn, E. Turck and others Cassell & Co 1883 Preface: "This third volume, treating of the habits and appearance of our Familiar Wild Birds, is prepared on the same lines as its predecessors, which have met with such a wide-spread welcome from the public. It is, unhappily, necessary to remark that, as these popular chapters go further through the list of British birds, they now come from time to time upon birds which, once "familiar" enough, are fast becoming no longer so. A few in this, and the fourth, and the remaining volume which will conclude this series, are now nearly on the verge of extinction; but as their names are almost household words amongst the population of one part or the other of these islands, it has seemed all the more desirable on that account to place faithful descriptions and portraits before the reader."

Familiar Wild Birds Second Series W. Swaysland With colour plates and many black & white illustrations: A. Thorburn, E. Turck and others Cassell & Co 1883 Preface: "In this second volume we continue our task of making known to general readers the appearance and habits of British Wild Birds. The cordial welcome extended to the first series is ample proof of the widespread interest felt in the subject; and it is hoped that this volume, like its predecessors, may help many to recognise individually the appearance, habits, and song of some of our birds. Mr. Kearton, as in the preceding volume, adds to these particulars those needed by the egg-collector."

Familiar Wild Birds First Series W. Swaysland With colour plates and many black & white illustrations: A. Thorburn, E. Turck and others Cassell & Co 1883 Preface: "How much the charm of country life is due to the song of the birds it is very difficult to realise. And still less generally known is the wonderful variety of bird life in even hyper-civilised England. By many a country lad every note heard and every bird seen is alike known and recognised j but to many of those whose daily walks are limited to the stone pavements of our large cities, save that they probably know a robin and a sparrow when they see either, a bird is simply 'a bird' and no more. To portray the many varieties of birds which yet visit, breed in, or live in England ; to describe their haunts, habits, eggs, and appearance; is, therefore, a pleasant task, which may perchance add, for many, a fresh charm to their brief experiences of country life."

A List Of European Birds Including All Species Found In The Western Palearctic Region Henry E. Dresser Published by the author 1881 Introduction: "Several of the Subscribers to my 'Birds of Europe' have urged me to publish a List of the Birds of the "Western Palearctic Region, as a check-list for labelling, and for reference in making exchanges of birds and eggs; and as no such list already existed, I hope that the present one may prove useful. I have, as will be seen, followed Professor Huxley's classification, which appears to me to be the best that has yet been elaborated, which classification I have adopted in the 'Birds of Europe;' and in order to facilitate reference, the species are numbered consecutively, as has been done in that work. A few alterations in the nomenclature, which further research has proved to be necessary, have been made."

A List Of British Birds: The Genera Arranged According To Sundevall's Methos Henry Thornton Wharton John Van Voorst 1877 20 pages. No Illustrations. Introductory chapters follows by a list that gives a common name and scientific name for each species. From the introduction: The present list is meant to comprise those birds only which have at least once, beyond doubt, occurred in a truly wild state within the area of the British Isles. No other definition of a British bird is strictly tenable.

Our Summer Migrants. An Account Of The Migratory Birds Which Pass The Summer In The British Islands J.E. Harting Illustrated from designs by Thomas Bewick Bickers & Son 1875 Preface: For those who reside in the country and have both leisure and inclination to observe the movements and habits of birds, there is not a more entertaining occupation than that of noting the earliest arrival of the migratory species, the haunts which they select, and the wonderful diversity which they exhibit in their actions, nidification, and song. There is something almost mysterious in the way in which numbers of these small and delicately formed birds are found scattered in one day over a parish where on the previous day not one was to be seen; and the manner of their arrival is scarcely more remarkable than the regularity with which they annually make their appearance. That most of them reach this country after long and protracted flights, crossing the Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay, and the English Channel is an undoubted fact. They have been seen to arrive upon our shores, and have been observed at sea during their passage, often at a considerable distance from land. But how few of those who notice them in this country know where they come from, why they come, what they find here to live upon, how, when, and where they go for the winter! In the following chapters an attempt has been made to answer these questions, and to give such information generally about our summer migratory birds as will prove acceptable to many who may be glad to possess it without knowing exactly where to look for it. Some of these sketches were originally published in the Natural History columns of "The Field" during the summer of 1871, and as a reprint has frequently been asked for, I have now carefully revised them and made some important additions and emendations, besides adding to the series a dozen or more chapters which have never before appeared. The illustrations, from designs by Thomas Bewick, will, it is conceived, add considerably to the attractiveness of the volume, and will enable the reader to dispense with particular descriptions of the species, which it might be otherwise desirable to furnish. These may be found, moreover, in other works devoted to British Ornithology."

A Handbook Of British Birds: Showing The Distribution Of The Resident And Migratory Species In The British Islands J.E. Harting John Van Voorst 1872 196 pages with no illustrations. From the authors introduction: THOSE who are acquainted with the works of Bewick, Montagu, Jardine, Selby, Macgillivray, Yarrell, and Gould, without having made a special study of their contents, may well be excused for doubting whether a further publication on the subject of British Birds can be either desirable or necessary. Practical ornithologists, however, who may take up this Handbook will see in it an attempt to supply a want which, notwithstanding the admirable works above referred to, they must have frequently experienced*; for in two important respects, at least, do these fail to satisfy their requirements : they do not distinguish with sufficient clearness the species which are truly indigenous to Great Britain from those which are but rare and accidental visitants ; nor do they indicate with sufficient authority the scientific nomenclature which should be adopted for the species of which they take cognizance.

A History Of The Birds Of Europe H.E. Dresser Illustrations by J.G. Keulemans, Joseph Wolf, E. Neale, and others Published by the author 1871 to 1881 Published originally in 84 parts and then in 8 volumes. The History covers all the birds of the Western Palearctic. A supplemental volume was published in 1896. For more detail about this publication see the A History Of The Birds Of Europe.

Natural History: Essays Charles Waterton Edited, with a life of the author, by Norman Moore Frederick Warne & Co 1870 The majority of the essays are ornithological. Contents: The Life Of The Author The Monkey Family The Dog Tribe The Fox The Weasel The Vampire The Bat The Brown Or Gray Rat Anecdote Of A Combat Betwixt Two Hares The Faculty Of Scent In The Vulture The Means By Which The Turkey-Buzzard Traces Its Food The Vulture's Nose Aerial Encounter Of The Eagle And The Vulture The Windhover The Barn Owl, And The Benefits It Confers On Man The Tawny Owl The Civetta, Or Little Italian Owl The Raven The Carrion Crow The Rook's Bill The Rook The Jackdaw The Jay The Magpie The Roller The Starling The Stormcock The Chaffinch The Wren, The Hedge-Sparrow, And The Robin The Humming-Bird The Passenger-Pigeon The Ringdove The Dovecot Pigeon The Pheasant The Kingfisher The Rumpless Fowl The Heron The Mallard The Wigeon The Canada Goose The Domestic Swan The Guillemot The Cormorant The Tropic Bird The Cayman Snakes The Chegoe Of Guiana The Yew Tree The Ivy The Holly The Powers Of Vegetation Beauty In The Animal Creation The Food Of Animals Cannibalism Defence Against Animals Of The Feline And Canine Tribes Hints To Ornithologists Flower Gardens And Song-Birds Trees, The Titmouse And The Woodpecker An Ornithological Letter To William Swainson, Esq., F.R.S Letter To A Bookmaker Birds' Eggs Method Of Preserving Insects Museums

A History of British Birds Rev. F.O. Morris Groombridge & Sons 1866-1867? Published in 8 volumes. Each volume has between 40 and 50 coloured illustrations. Volume 1: Birds of Prey, Owls, Shrikes, Tits Volume 2: Flycatchers, Kingfishers, Crows, Nuthatch, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, Nightjar, Swifts, Swallows, Wagtails, Pipits Volume 3: Larks, Buntings, Finches, Sparrows, Starlings, Dipper, Thrushes Volume 4: Accentors, Robin, Redstarts, Chats, Wheatears, Warblers, Wren, Pigeons, Gamebirds Volume 5: Bustards, Waders, Herons, Storks, Ibis Volume 6: Waders, Rails, Geese, Swans Volume 7: Ducks, Grebes, Divers, Auks Volume 8: Cormorants, Gannet, Terns, Gulls, Skuas, Shearwaters, Petrel

The Birds of Great Britain Volume I John Gould Colour plates: John Gould, H.C. Richter, J. Wolf, W. Hart Published by the author 1862-1873 This is volume one of a five volume collected edition published in 1873. The work was originally published for subscribers in 25 parts between 1862 and 1873. From the preface: "The question may naturally suggest itself to some of my readers, what object I had in view in publishing a work on the Birds of Great Britain, when I had already completed a similar publication on the avifauna of Europe. My reasons are simply these :- Before the latter was completed the entire edition was all or nearly all sold; and very many persons interested in this department of science were disappointed in not being able to procure a copy of a work which they saw in the hands of so many others. Consequently, on the completion of my 'Birds of Australia,' at the solicitation of a large number of private friends and others, and influenced by the increased taste for natural history that had sprung up in the interim, I 'returned to my old love' by publishing the British Birds, excluding those of the continent, thus complying with the wishes of those persons who have especially paid attention to our native ornithology. I also felt that there was an opportunity of greatly enriching the work by giving figures of the young of many of the species of various genera - a thing hitherto almost entirely neglected by authors; and I feel assured that this infantile age of bird-life will be of much interest for science, to my subscribers, and to readers generally. That my efforts to render this publication a standard work have been successful is evidenced by its sale being double that of any other work I have given to the public. Many of the numerous ornithologists who have arisen within the last few years have rendered me much valuable information - a kindness which I duly acknowledge, and trust that, although not specially mentioned in this short Preface, they will take it for granted they have not been forgotten, and that their names have been generally associated with the various subjects to which their communications have reference."

The Birds of Great Britain Volume II John Gould Colour plates: John Gould, H.C. Richter, J. Wolf, W. Hart Published by the author 1862-1873 This is volume two of a five volume collected edition published in 1873. The work was originally published for subscribers in 25 parts between 1862 and 1873.

The Birds of Great Britain Volume III John Gould Colour plates: John Gould, H.C. Richter, J. Wolf, W. Hart Published by the author 1862-1873 This is volume three of a five volume collected edition published in 1873. The work was originally published for subscribers in 25 parts between 1862 and 1873.

The Birds of Great Britain Volume IV John Gould Colour plates: John Gould, H.C. Richter, J. Wolf, W. Hart Published by the author 1862-1873 This is volume four of a five volume collected edition published in 1873. The work was originally published for subscribers in 25 parts between 1862 and 1873.

The Birds of Great Britain Volume V John Gould Colour plates: John Gould, H.C. Richter, J. Wolf, W. Hart Published by the author 1862-1873 This is volume five of a five volume collected edition published in 1873. The work was originally published for subscribers in 25 parts between 1862 and 1873.

British Birds In Their Haunts Rev. C.A. Johns Illustrations on wood drawn by Wolf, engraved by Whymper Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge 1862 600 pages with over 180 black and white illustration. From the authors preface: Tlie Author begs expressly to disclaim all idea of proposing the present volume as a substitute for the comprehensive work of Yarrell referred to above, which must always remain the indispensable book of reference for the British Ornithologist Yet he does venture to hope that he has provided the lover of nature with a pleasant companion in his country walks, and the young Ornithologist with a manual which will supply his present need and prepare him for the study of more important works. The student who wishes to discover the name of any bird, of which a specimen happens to be in his possession, is recommended to compare it, first with the characters given in the Synopsis of Genera, and then to determine the species by reference to the description in small type which he will find at the head of each chapter.

A History Of British Birds William Yarrell Third edition with many additions Illustrated by 550 wood engravings John Van Voorst 1856 Published in three volumes. From the authors preface: THE publication of the third edition of this History of our British Birds supplies the opportunity of including the record of seventeen species new to the British Catalogue; fifteen of which are figured and described in their places in these volumes, and notice of the occurrence of two others, also new, is here added, with further particulars of some recent and rare additions. More than one hundred pages have been added to the text.