The Birds of Kent
HARRISON, James M.
[With a Foreword by Sir Philip Manson-Bahr. First Issue].
FIRST ISSUE IN DUSTWRAPPERS
Published: Witherby, [1953]
Stock code: 33885
Price: £188.00
2 vols., roy. 4to., First Edition, First Issue, with 2 coloured frontispieces, 36 coloured plates, 76 monochrome plates on 42, a full-page map in the text, and a double-page map in red and blue with a full-page graph, some light marginal spotting to first leaves on each volume, fore-edges mildly spotted; original dark blue buckram, gilt back, blue tops, a very good, clean set in dustwrapper, the latter lightly browned and spotted at fold-ins.
One of the finest of all modern county avifaunas, the set comprises vol I: Black-Throated Diver to Puffin; vol. II: Pallas's Sand-Grouse to Snow-Finch. The frontispieces and coloured plates are from paintings by the author. 'In 1953 Dr. James Harrison published 'The Birds of Kent', a comprehensive historical work in two volumes which goes into great detail on the occurrence of sub-species as well as full species. This book is illustrated with many photographs mostly of mounted specimens and coloured paintings by the author'. (Tate). This is the first issue binding of dark blue buckram (rather than the later cloth). The dustwrappers are cream printed in red and black. Tate (1985), p.94.