The Birds of Southern Rhodesia (4 vols; 1933-36)

In his Vol 1 introduction Priest apologises for the many errors in his earlier work, which predated W L Sclater\'s definitive classification of 1930. In this almost monumental work of some 1800 pp + folding colour map + 40 colour plates, Priest acknowledges the four-volume turn-of-the-century work of Stark and Sclater as well as the collaboration of Austin Roberts and other contemporaries, including the artist Norman Lighton, who was also the artist for the first \"Roberts\", who provided the originals for the colour and monochrome plates for Vols 1-3 and the first part of Vol 4. (The signature of the unacknowledged artist for responsible for the other paintings in Vol 4 appears to be Hentrich Grovold.)

Vol 1. 1933. xxxii + 454 pp of text and index + folding map + 10 tissue-protected inserted colour plates and many illustrations in the text. Vol 2. 1934. viii + 553 pp of text and index + 10 inserted colour plates and many illustrations in the text. Vol 3. 1935. ix + 355 pp of text and index + 10 inserted colour plates and many illustrations in the text. Vol 4. 1936. ix + 420 pp of text and index + 10 inserted colour plates and many illustrations in the text.

Although the preface to Vol 4 promised a final appendix and index volume with additional scientific notes from the late L B Mouritz and other authorities, this volume was not published.

This is an excellent and complete set, lovingly and carefully used by a single owner. The volumes carry no ownership or other marks and all colour-plate tissues are present. The blue cloth-board covers, gilt-lettered to the spine, are very slightly rubbed in places and there are some surface bubbles. The spines are only lightly faded, with the lettering sharp and bright. Some cover corners are lightly bumped but there is no wear. The binding is sound. The top page edge is guillotined, the bottom edge is rough-cut and some fore-edge leaves have been hand-cut. Some endpapers are lightly foxed but the set is otherwise undiscoloured.