Translation of: A natural history of birds.

Translated by David Durand, a Fellow of the Royal Society (=S.R. on title page).

Added colored engraved title page: Georgii Edvardi ornithologia nova.

Added general title page dated MDCCLI [1751] with title: Histoire naturelle d'oiseaux peu communs, et d'autres animaux rares & qui n'ont pas été decrits ...

Each of the four parts has a separate title page entitled 'Histoire naturelle de divers oiseaux', dated respectively 1745, 1748, 1751 and 1751, and separate register, except for part 4 which continues the register of part 3.

Head- and tail-pieces; initials.

Page CXXVIII is misnumbered as CXXVII; page 213 is misnumbered as 113.

"Addition au précédent ouvrage, contenant quelques éclaircissemens" --Pages [1]-26, bound in following page CV in part 2.

"Quelques réflexions sur les oiseaux de passage" --Pages 211-213.

"Supplément à plusieurs des sujets qui sont décrits dans cet ouvrage" --Pages 214-223.

"Catalogue des tous les noms d'oiseaux, animaux, &c. qui sont contenus dans les quartre parties de cette Histoire naturelle, distribués en classes selon leur genre spécifique" --Pages 225-232.

"Catalogue des noms des oiseaux, animaux, &c. décrits dans les troisièmes & quatrièmes parties de cet ouvrage, en Latin & en François" --Pages 233-236.

Continued by Edwards's Gleanings of natural history = Glanures de l'histoire naturelle (1758-1764), published in a parallel English and French language edition.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

English short title catalogue T145477

Anker, Jean. Bird books and bird art, 125

Nissen, C. Illustrierten Vogelbücher, 287

Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library pages 196-198

SCNHRB copy has each of the four parts of the French translation bound at the end of the volume containing the corresponding part of the English language edition, with title: A natural history of birds. London : Printed for the author, at the College of Physicians in Warwick-Lane, MDCCXLIII-MDCCLI [i.e. 1750-1776]. Probably bound together subsequent to publication. There is only one set of hand-colored illustrations per physical volume. For the French edition, volume 1 contains [6], xxi, LII, [1] pages; volume 2 contains [5], LIII-CV, 26 pages; volume 3 contains [5], CVI-CLVII, [1] pages; volume 4 contains [3], CLVIII-CCX, 211-236 pages.

SCNHRB copy of partie 1 is also bound with: (in volume 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].

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).

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