[WHITE, GILBERT]. The Natural History of Selborne. London & New York: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1900.
NEW ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Leather-bound; hardcover; thick quarto (25 x 18 x 6 cm); pp. xl, 528. English text, edited with notes by Grant Allen, and illustrated by Edmund H. New. Handsomely bound in half morocco gilt by Hatchards; marbled paper-covered boards; t.e.g., other edges unevenly cut; hand-marbled endpapers; half-title; portrait frontispiece with tissue guard; title-page printed in red and black; illustrated with forty-eight full-page illustrations including 2 maps, 63 smaller illustrations in the text and 72 illustrations of birds; decorative initials; printed footnotes; tables in the text; rear appendix and index. Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., London & Edinburgh. Condition: VERY GOOD. Binding tight, secure and square. Covers very well-preserved. Some light spotting mostly confined to the endpapers and fore edge. Without previous ownership markings.
Notes: A beautiful copy of this popular natural history work by ornithologist Gilbert White. Here presented in an exceptional Arts & Crafts binding by Hatchards, with natural history motifs gilt tooled to the spine. The Natural History of Selborne has remained in print since its original publication in 1789. It is compiled from letters from White to other naturalists as well as holding a 'Naturalist's Calendar' and a selection of poetry. It was well received on publication and is regarded as an early contribution to ecology and phenology. This particular edition was edited by Grant Allen, with his notes. It is adorned with numerous illustrations by Edmund H New, a leading illustrator of his day and member of the Birmingham Group. He frequently contributed to the 'English Illustrated Magazine' and was commissioned by the Bodley Head for many book illustrations, including the Compleat Angler.
