The general title in full: A natural history of uncommon birds, and of some other rare and undescribed animals: quadrupeds, fishes, reptiles, insects, &c. : exhibited in two hundred and ten copper-plates, from designs copied immediately from nature and curiously coloured after life. With a full and accurate description of each figure. To which is added, a brief and general idea of drawing and painting in water-colours; with instructions for etching on copper with aqua fortis: likewise some thoughts on the passage of birds; and additions to many of the subjects described in this work. In four parts. By George Edwards, library-keeper to the Royal College of Physicians.

"This work having been delivered in parts at different times during the term of about ten years ... it was not at first possible to give it a proper general title ... but since the book is now brought to a conclusion, I ... prefix the foregoing general title page."--Part 1, page 3.

"The author seems to have intended each volume to the the last one, but extended the work to four parts and continued it under the title of 'Gleanings of natural history' ... to seven parts. The work was issued under the subtitles; the full title, with the introduction was added at the completion of the fourth part. The four parts of the present title were translated into French and issued, mostly, subsequent to their respective originals" --Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library, page 193.

Apparently parts 1 and 2 are the third issue of the first edition published in 1776, according to Lisney's Bibliography of British Lepidoptera (numbers 190 and 194), although retaining the original dates of MDCCXLIII and MDCCXLVII on the title pages. Parts 3 and 4 are apparently from the first edition, issued in 1750 and 1751 respectively (possibly unsold copies later purchased together with the 1776 issue of parts 1 and 2 from Edwards' successor, publisher James Robson).

"The general title and introduction were issued with the fourth part. The description of each plate is limited to one page of text, the type face varying slightly in size according to the amount of material included, and for eache of reference the pagination corresponds to the plate numbers." --Lisney, no. 188.

The frontispiece has caption: "Georgii Edvardi Ornithologia nova."

Part 2 has the unnumbered plate captioned "un samojeed" bound in between pages 118 and 119. As Lisney notes for part 2 in the entry for 195 in his Bibliography of British Lepidoptera, "Gatherings S and T have been modified with the numbers of the missing pages crowded on pages 119 and 120 so that page numbers 119, 120 and 121, and 122, 123 and 124 occupy opposite sides of one leaf. Leaf S2 is signed S2 & T."

Part 1 (1743, i.e. 1776) contains plates numbered 1-52; part 2 (1747, i.e. 1776) contains plates 53-105; part 3 ( 1750) contains plates 106-157; and part 4 (1751) contains plates 158-210.

Contains bibliographical references and indexes.

Anker, J. Bird books and bird art, 124

Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library pages 192-196

Nissen, C. Illustrierten Vogelbücher, 286

Lisney, Arthur A. A bibliography of British Lepidoptera, 1608-1799, 190 [part 1]; 195 [part 2]; 198 [part 3]; and 201 [part 4]

extracted picklist 20081216 BHLEX

SCNHRB copy (part 1, 39088002727576; part 2, 39088004448320; part 3, 39088004448338; part 4, 39088004448346) is bound with: (in part 1): Robson, James. Some memoirs of the life and works of George Edwards. London : Printed for J. Robson ..., MDCCLXXVI [1776] and Linné, Carl von. A catalogue of the birds, beasts, fishes, insects, plants, &c. contained in Edwards's Natural history. London : Printed for J. Robson ..., MDCCLXXVI [1776]; apparently issued together. In addition, each part is bound with the corresponding part of the French translation: Edwards, George. Histoire naturelle de divers oiseaux. A Londres : Imprimé pour l'auteur, au Collége des Medecins in Warwick-Lane, MDCCXLV-MDCCLI [1745-1751], although there is only one set of plates in each physical volume.

SCNHRB copy of part 1 is imperfect: the frontispiece captioned "Georgii Edvardi Ornithologia nova" is wanting.

SCNHRB copy has stamps: 1. (on front free endpaper): Division of Birds; 2. (on the verso of the general title page in the first part): Smithsonian Institution National Museum, Jul. 26, 1905; accession number 192594 (for all 4 parts). With handwritten acquisition note in pencil on the general title page: "36804 purchased Wesley Mus. & Birds."

SCNHRB copy has modern black buckram bindings with gilt-lettered spines and gray endpapers.