Buffon, Georges Louis Marie Leclerc, Comte de

15 volumes, large 4to (12 1/2 x 9 in.; 317 x 235 mm). 1008 fine handcolored plates drawn and engraved by Francois Nicolas Martinet under the supervision of Edme Daubenton, directions to the binder and errata at the end of volumes of text 1-6, 9 and 10, and after the title-page of volumes 7 and 8, general index at the end of volume 10; some light foxing in the text volumes. 
Contemporary mottled calf, spines with gilt floral ornaments, green and red morocco labels; first volume of plates with fragile hinges, otherwise very fine. 

Ayer/Zimmer 104-106; Copenhagen/Anker 76; Fine Bird Books 83; McGill/Wood 267; Nissen IVB 158

A very fine, bright and unsophisticated copy of the "most ambitious and comprehensive bird book" which still "ranks still as one of the most important of all bird books from the collector's point of view" (Fine Bird Books).

The plates were originally intended to illustrate the ornithological section of Buffon's massive Histoire naturelle generale, but this idea was abandoned owing to the limited number of impressions the plates would yield. Instead Buffon prepared a text to accompany the sumptuously colored plates. Buffon's Oiseaux was issued in four formats: the large and ordinary paper folio sets were issued with handcolored plates by and after Francois Martinet. In 1765 at Buffon's direction, Martinet began drawing and painting, and engraved the plates under the supervision of Edme Daubenton. In the course of production, over 80 artists and assistants were engaged, ultimately producing 973 ornithological plates. An additional 35 plates depicting animals, reptiles, insects, and corals were produced at the same time, but they are not mentioned in the body of the text. It is very uncommon to find complete sets of these 35 additional plates (like this one).