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GREENE, William Thomas (d.1906) Parrots in captivi

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London: George Bell & Sons, [1883-]1884-1887. 3 volumes, 8vo (246 x 170 mm). 8pp. publisher's advertisements at back of vol. I. 81 plates, printed in colors from woodblocks by Benjamin Fawcett after Alexander Francis Lydon, many finished by hand. Near-contemporary red half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, spines in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in gilt in the second and fourth compartments, the others with repeat decoration in gilt, marbled endpapers, t.e.g. Condition: frontispieces to vols. II and III loosely inserted, mounting tape to verso of vol. II frontispiece, plate facing p.98 in vol. II with clean tear to the outer margin, pp.75/76 with clean tears; very light scuffing to extremities. Provenance: Lynn Abbott Trust. a fine set of this charming work, with the best plates that the fawcett/lydon partnership ever produced. Parrots have personalities, they have attitude and successful portraits should capture this spark of intelligence; in this Lydon and Fawcett's plates are undoubtedly successful. This set is without the unfinished fourth volume, of which only two parts (with 9 plates) were published. The first two volumes were issued in parts, parts 1-6 appeared in 1883, 7-18 in 1884. Volume III apppeared entire in 1887. Zimmer observes that a fourth volume, which I have not seen, was begun in 1888 and carried through 2 parts with 9 colored plates and corresponding text.' These two parts are so rare that the work is generally considered to be complete in three volumes with 81 plates as here. Fine Bird Books (1990) p.79; Mullens & Swann p.252; Nissen IVB 393; Ripley p. 117; Wood, p. 368; Zimmer p. 274.(3)

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