Fifth edition (1865) of a general account of bird life in its various aspects written by Edward Stanley (1779-1849), Bishop of Norwich, first published in 1835. The present copy, probably in a school prize binding, has a charming fore-edge painting of a scene showing a hunt with falcons. The edges have been gilded over the painting, so that the scene appears when the fore-edge is fanned. Stanley presents various facts and anecdotes about numerous species of birds and their instincts and habits. The preliminary advertisement notes that the book is intended for a class of readers who want to know more about birds, but to whom mere scientific details would be unacceptable. It contains 20 chapters. The first 5 describe the general classification, the external and internal structure of birds, their organs of sound, and their plumage, wings and flight. The last 15 describe different kinds of birds, including eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, birds of paradise, ostriches, water birds, toucans, ducks and penguins, but also the flamingo, albatross and peacock. The book also notes some remarkable facts, for example that hawks were sacred to Egyptians and were often found in mummy pits. The text is illustrated with many images of birds. Sometimes these images just show the appearance of the birds, but sometimes they also show their internal structure, for example the skeleton. Although the classification is obsolete and many statements, presented by Stanley as facts, are inaccurate, this work has some value as a juvenile ornithological work. The present copy is probably in a prize binding from the 16th-century free grammar school, King Edward [VI]s School in Bruton, but has no certificate or recipients name (Longman apparently supplied them: we have seen a notice of their 1861 edition of Macaulay in a prize binding for the same school).
Binding very slightly worn, but overall in very good condition. Juvenile ornithological work with a charming fore-edge painting of a falconry hunting scene. Mullens & Swan, pp. 556-557; cf. Strong, p. 811 (1848 edition); Zimmer, p. 601 (1880 edition).