CATESBY, Mark (1683-1749).
The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants; Particularly the Forest-Trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not hitherto Described.
Published by Printed for Charles Marsh, Thomas Wilcox, and Benjamin Stichall, 1754., 1754.

2 volumes, folio (20 x 14 in.; 50.8 x 35.5 cm). Title-pages in English and French printed in red and black, double-column text in English and French, dedication leaf in English to the Queen and trilingual index leaf (English, Latin, and French) in vol. 1, dedication leaf in English to the Princess of Wales in vol. 2, 6-page index to both volumes in English, Latin, and French at the end of vol. 2, 220 etched plates with FINE, SATURATED HANDCOLORING, most with Catesby's monogram (vol. 2 plates 61 and 96 by Georg Ehret after Catesby), handcolored folding map of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands and "An Account of Carolina and the Bahama Islands" bound after the plates in vol. 2, vol. 1 Preface with a band of 16 printer's fleurons, etched headpiece by Catesby, woodcut initials; "DU" corrected by hand on title-pages, first 20 text leaves of vol. 2 with attempted corrections by hand, as usual, light text offset to plates and/or pigment offset to text, light vertical creases in vol. 1 (plates 56-69), scattered foxing, spotting, or mottling affecting about a dozen plates, skillful repairs to short tears on plates 3-4 and to small holes on plates 5-8, and 19-21, short tear in right margin outside plate mark of plate 19 in vol. 2. Contemporary French straight-grained scarlet morocco, covers finely decorated with borders of gilt and blind garland roll-tools, inner border of gilt fillets with cornerpieces comprising small tools of birds fleeing a coiled snake in the grass, blue holland endpapers, spines in 7 compartments with raised bands lettered gilt in the second and fifth edges gilt and elaborately gauffred; expertly rebacked, preserving the original spines, board edges a bit worn. "THE MOST FAMOUS COLORPLATE BOOK OF AMERICAN PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE AND A FUNDAMENTAL AND ORIGINAL WORK FOR THE STUDY OF AMERICAN SPECIES" (Hunt).

The second edition, first edition of the text revised by George Edwards. Trained as a botanist, Catesby travelled to Virginia in 1712, returning to London in 1719 with an extensive collection of plants. This collection drew the attention of Sir Hans Sloane, who helped fund Catesby's second trip to Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the Bahamas from 1722 to 1729. Catesby's preface details his two journeys to the New World and the development of his natural history, including his decision to etch the plates himself in order to ensure both accuracy and economy. "Instead of perpetuating the previous stiff, profile manner of presentation, Catesby devised the method of mingling plants and animals in logical groupings, most often with accuracy and with proportional scale between figure and plant. He did his utmost to convey something of the particular habits or movements of each species. Simple though they are, he infused his compositions with a sense of movement and vitality not usual prior to his work" (Norelli). The first edition was published in ten parts, with the final part appearing in 1743 and the 20-plate appendix in 1747. Work appears to have begun on the second edition almost immediately-if not simultaneously-with the 1747 appendix. According to Stafleu and Cowan, the second edition was published between 1748 and 1756. Recent discoveries have suggested that there are multiple issues of the second edition, including early issues that may partly be comprised by sheets from the first edition.

REFERENCES: E. G. Allen, "The History of American Ornithology before Audubon," in Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 41:3 (October 1951), pp. 387-591; Anker 94; Dunthorne 72; Ellis/Mengel 477; Fine Bird Books (1990), p. 86; Great Flower Books (1990). P. 53; Hunt 486 (first edition); McGill/Wood 281; E. Charles Nelson and David J. Elliott, The Curious Mister Catesby (University of George Press, 2015); Nissen IVB 177 and BBI 336; Norellli, American Wildlife Painting (New York, 1975); Sabin 11058; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 1057; Edwin Wolf 2nd, A Flock of Beautiful Birds (Philadelphia, 1977), pp. 5 -7.

PROVENANCE: Shelfmark on flyleaf (pencil inscription "C-34-P-1" in an early hand ); Library Company of Baltimore (bookplate inscribed "Shelf No. 5001, Case N"); Maryland Historical Society (bookplate; Sotheby's New York, 19 June 2008, lot 45).