5 volumes, imperial folio (546 x 356 mm). 448 hand-colored lithographic plates, some heightened in gum arabic, printed by Charles Hullmandel (some offsetting, spotting throughout, minor loss to upper margin of plate 437 not affecting image.) Contemporary olive morocco gilt, covers elaborately tooled with broad frames, spines in 6 compartments with 5 raised bands, gilt-lettered in 2, the rest gilt tooled, all edges gilt, stamp-signed by James Clyde (spotting to endpapers, light rubbing to extremities).

FIRST EDITION of Gould's landmark study of European birds, undertaken to "supply [the] deficiency" between the study of foreign and European birds. Of 448 hand-colored plates, 68 were produced by British artist and author Edward Lear, who had created most of them for Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae and then sold them to Gould after encountering financial difficulties; the rest were produced by Elizabeth Coxen Gould after her husband's original sketches. Lear's lithographs, described by Susan Hyman as "among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made," were unique for having been among the first created from observing live birds, whereas many of Gould's sketches were produced from his visits to natural history museums in Holland, Germany, and Switzerland.

Lear would work closely with Elizabeth Gould in producing her lithographs, and of his work, British conservationist and author Isabella Tree writes, "In volume Lear's contribution may not have been prolific, but its impact was revelatory. Lear's participation transformed the work of Mrs. Gould...into dynamic and expressive works of art." (The Ruling Passion of John Gould, p.43). Anker/Copenhagen 169; Ayer/Zimmer pp. 251-252; Fine Bird Books p.77; Nissen IVB 371; Sauer 2; Wood p.364.