Paris, Arnauld de Vresse, [between 1857-1871]. Oblong folio (16.4 x 26.3 cm). Title page in red and black; 16 pp. of explanatory text; 18 finely lithographed plates, originally coloured by hand. Original pebbled, blind-stamped burgundy cloth. Front board with gilt floral arabesques and gilt title.

A finely illustrated work on European (French) birds, including many owls, other birds of prey, songbirds, etc., including many of the more beautifully feathered species. Each of the 18 plates shows two, usually closely related species in an appropriate landscape. the images are very well executed, accurate and certainly with scientific merit. In describing this and the similarly formatted work by Delarue and de Vresse, "Oiseaux d'Europe", Ronsil remarks (p. 69) in " L'Art Français": "Soigneusement coloriés au pinceau à lépoque, la plupart de ces lithographies constituent de delicieuses petite estampes d'une extrême délicatesse." Mrs. Jackson, in her Dictionary of Bird Artists of the World (1999) tells us (p. 220) that Jean Delarue was the name of both a father and son who specialized in various aspects of natural history depiction." (Richard L. Soffer, in Amherst.edu). Regarding the Jackson quote, Bénézit lists two Jean Delarue's; however, one is from the 16th century. We were informed by Mr. Alain Lebosse that, indeed, the 19th century Delarue was, in fact, a father (Jean-Baptiste), and a son (Jean-Baptiste Antoine; 1810-1852). Only the latter was a licenced lithographer, hence these lithographed plates must be attributed to him. It is possible, however, that they were based on drawings or engravings made priviously by his father. His father was, most likely, responsible for at least one big and important work on entomology, viz., Histoire Naturelle des Lépidoptères ou Papillons de France by J. Godart and P. Duponchel. As they were both highly gifted bird illustrators it remains unknown who was responsible for the 30 superb plates to Alcide d'Orbigny's Galerie ornithologique, published between 1836-1839 (see Sitwell), and another very rare bird book, namely Études d'Animaux dans le Paysage; Oiseaux d'Europe, and the artist of four plates in John Kirk Townsend's aborted and mythically rare Ornithology of the United States of North America (1839), sometimes mistakenly attributed to "Delorme". "At least the lithographs in plates 1, 2, 7, and 8 appear in another De Vresse album, Birds of Europe, with only nine plates. The text associated with the first plate is similar but not identical. The company 'Arnaud de Vresse' was active from 1853 to 1871. All the lithographs in "Birds of Europe" list the printer as "Laurent, rue des Bernardins," active only from 1855 to 1857, after the death of Jean-Baptiste Antoine (in 1852) but before the auction of the lithographic stones (in 1861). The rights were probably sold by the son of Jean-Baptiste Antoine, a print dealer as indicated above" (M. Lebosse in lit.). Slight rubbing to the boards; some marginal thumbing throughout; title page and several other text pages lightly foxed, the plates mostly clean. A very good copy. Bénézit 3, p. 144; Ronsil, Bibl. Ornith. Fr. 780; Ronsil l'Art Français, p. 69; Sitwell, p. 92.