Leipzig, Erwin Nägele, 1906. Large 4to (29.4 x 22.4 cm). 20 pp.; ten photographic and lithographed plates of which several with additional colouring and heightened with gum arabic; one double-sized chart. Original printed portfolio.

Part of a long (infinite) zoological series. It deals strictly with the owl, Strix flammea, only. This species, know as the short-eared owl (now Asio flammeus) has one of the widest distributions of all birds, being absent only in Australia and Antarctica. Several subspecies are recognized. The fine illustrations show the young (nestling) birds in chromolithography, as well as adult birds, skeletal parts, etc. The large chart is titled Zusammenstellung der Brehmschen Schleiereulen. Nach L. von Pree. Naumannia 1858. It contains a comparative table of six (sub)species of Strix. According to Anker, "As one of the advocates of recent taxonomic points of views he arranges the various related forms in groups, 'Formenkreise' - the specific names of which he begins with a capital lettter - so as to provide a new and truer picture of nature, claiming that 'das Bild, das Linné von der Natur hatte, war falsch, das Bild, das Darwin von der Natur entwarf, is gleichfalls falsch'." [the picture that Linné had of nature was wrong, the picture that Darwin created of nature is also wrong]. Portfolio spotted, with some light wear to the spine fold and edges; otherwise very good, unmarked. Anker, 258 (not this part); Nissen IVB, 507 (no details).