Buller | A history of the birds of New Zealand, 1888; Supplement, 1905, together 4 volumes

Sir Walter Lawry Buller

A full set of Buller's works on the birds of New Zealand, comprising:

A history of the birds of New Zealand... second edition. London: published (for the subscribers) by the author, 1888, 2 volumes, large 4to (362 x 263mm.), list of subscribers in volume 2 (specifying a print run of 1,000 copies), 50 plates (48 coloured), black and white illustrations in text, original black morocco-backed green cloth, upper covers with a gilt picture of a takahe, flat spine with gilt lettering and decoration, gilt edges, one plate with tissue guard stuck to image in one small spot, ends of spines repaired

Supplement to the "Birds of New Zealand". London: published (for the subscribers) by the author, 1905, 2 volumes, 4to (374 x 276mm.), frontispiece portrait of the author, 12 coloured plates, black and white illustrations in text, original red cloth with a gilt picture of a kiwi on covers, flat spines gilt, top edge gilt

together 4 volumes

Buller wrote several works on New Zealand birds, from 1865 onwards; the supplement to his Birds of New Zealand was published the year before his death. He travelled to London to see both editions through the press, and by the time of the supplement, he had moved permanently to England. The plates were designed by the renowned bird artist J.G. Keulemans (1842-1912).

This was the first work to cover the birdlife of the Maori world, however Buller himself thought that introduced European species would supersede the native ones, and he was unenthusiastic about efforts to conserve native species.

LITERATURE:

Anker 85; Nissen IVB 163