The Birds of South Africa

Edgar Leopold Layard CMG (23 July 1824 – 1 January 1900) was a British naturalist mainly interested in ornithology. Born in Florence, Italy, he was the sixth son of Henry Peter John Layard of the Ceylon Civil Service with his wife Marianne, the daughter of Nathaniel Austin of Ramsgate, Kent and hence he was the brother of the archaeologist and politician Sir Austen Henry Layard.

Here is a copy of the New Edition of "The Birds of South Africa", revised and augmented by R. Bowdler Sharpe. This is a simply outstanding copy. The recent fine binding is in nearly as-new condition. Dark brown half leather with raised spine bands, gilt rules, and leather corners over decorated paper covered boards. The contents are superlative - extraordinarily clean and bright with no spotting or previous ownership markings. Even the uncut page edges are nearly pristine. All 12 colored engraving plates are present and in equally superlative condition.

This second edition is the first edition with the 12 beautiful handcoloured plates by John Gerrard Keulemans. Moreover, this edition "contains an account of the birds inhabiting about double the area of country included by the author of the original work." (Mendelsshon, p.872)