Gould's Birds of Australia with Hand-Coloured Plates

Gould, John. A synopsis of the birds of Australia. London, 1837-38. First issue in four parts, tall octavo, with 73 hand-coloured plates by Elizabeth Gould, original cloth-backed printed boards (back board of fourth part stained), prospectus bound in the first part, in quarter morocco folding box. The rare original issue of Gould's first work on Australian birds, with superior colouring to that found in the single-volume reissue. The plates comprise about 200 head studies, with many species depicted for the first time.