Edwards (George). Natural History of Uncommon Birds, and of Some Other Rare and Undescribed Animals... Exhibited in two hundred and ten copper plates, from designs copied immediately from nature, and curiously coloured after life... to which is added, a brief and general idea of drawing and painting in water-colours; with instructions for etching on copper with aquafortis: likewise some thoughts on the passage of birds; and additions to many of the subjects described in this work, 4 volumes, printed for Author, at the College of Physicians, in Warwick-Lane, 1743-51, & Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting figures of quadrupeds, birds, insects, plants &c. most of which have not, till now, been either figured or described, 3 volumes, printed for the author, at the Royal College of Physicians, in Warwick-Lane, 1758-64, 7 volumes in all, containing 362 fine hand-coloured copper engraved plates (210 and 152 plates respectively to each work), uncoloured engraved portrait of the author by Johann Sebastian Muller after Bartholomew Dandridge, the three volumes of Gleanings of Natural History with parallel English and French printed text in double column, marbled endpapers, bookplate of William Hudson Hulme Hall Cheadle Hulme to front pastedown of each volume, contemporary uniform full red leather, with patterned outer border to each cover, panelled spines and all edges gilt, 4to (29 x 24 cm) (7) A fine set in contemporary uniform binding of 'one of the most important of all bird books, both as a fine bird book and a work of ornithology' (Sitwell, Fine Bird Books). The father of British ornithology, George Edwards (1694-1773) was appointed librarian at the College of Physicians, with the assistance of Sir Hans Sloane, who also employed him to draw curiosities from his own collection. These drawings, as well as others made by Edwards from the collections of his circle, including Mark Catesby, and the Dutchman Gideon Loten, formed the basis of his Natural History. Amongst the species described, some of which appear in print for the first time, are many from India and North America. Edwards personally oversaw the colouring of the engravings - 316 of which are of birds - carefully supervising the colourists who worked from twelve model copies coloured by the author himself. The work includes 'some brief instructions for etching on engraving on copper-plates', Edwards having been encouraged to etch his own plates by Catesby, and 'A Brief Idea of Drawing and Painting in Water-Colours'.