Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1862. viii,298,pp. plus fifty handcolored lithographs, printed by J.T. Bowen of Philadelphia (eighteen after George G. White, thirty-two drawn on stone by William E. Hitchcock). Original tan publisher's cloth, rebacked with original spine laid down. Corners rubbed. Modern bookplates on front pastedown. Minor scattered foxing. Very good. Item #WRCAM46057A
The second edition, after the first of 1853- 56, with the same content, of this important American color plate and ornithological work. Cassin intended his work to supplement that of Audubon. He had originally suggested to Audubon's sons a plan for extending the octavo edition of Audubon's THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, but difficulty concerning credit on the titlepage sank the scheme, and Cassin proceeded with his own publication. He used the same lithographer as the Audubons, J.T. Bowen of Philadelphia, to produce the beautiful plates of American birds, consisting entirely of western species that Audubon had never observed. Cassin was a trained scientist as well as careful artist and observer, and his work took American ornithology to a new level of technical competence, becoming the first American bird book to use trinomial nomenclature. ANKER 92. ZIMMER, p.124. LADA-MOCARSKI 144. COWAN, p.110. NISSEN IVB 173. FINE BIRD BOOKS 64. BENNETT, p.21.