Text volumes to accompany color plates etched by Selby (mostly after his own drawings) with the assistance of his brother-in-law Admiral Robert Mitford, which were first issued nineteen parts to subscribers from 1819-1833 and were subsequently bound into two folio volumes.

The second text volume (water birds) was published in 1833 along with a second edition of vol. 1 (part first).

Atlas vols. have title: Plates to Selby's Illustrations of British ornithology. Edinburgh, London : Archibald Constable & Co., and Hurst Robinson & Co. ; Edinburgh, Printed for the proprietor, and published by W.H. Lizars ... [1819]-1834. "Although issued partly in connection with the volume of plates, under the same title (at the time of issue), text and plates were purchasable separately ... the author in his preface to the present work, that the text will constitute an independent work of reference."--Cf. Zimmer, p. 573.

Zimmer, J.T. Ayer Lib., p. 573

extracted picklist 20081216 BHLEX

SCNHRB copy a made-up set: v. 1 (39088015709793) of the 1st ed., v. 2 (39088015709835) of the 2nd.

SCNHRB copy inscribed in ink on t.p. of v. 1: Robert Hood 1840.

SCNHRB copy stamped on t.p. of both v.: Smithsonian Institution National Museum Richmond Collection [ms. acc. no.] 246288. Inscribed in ink on verso of t.p.: Chas. W. Richmond.

SCNHRB copy has bookplate in v. 2: Dr. R.L. Walker, 1896. Inscribed in ink on 2nd front free endpaper: R.L. Walker, 1896.

SCNHRB copy bound in dark blue cloth, title in gilt on spine.