Birds of North America, 1897.

This edition of Jacob Studer’s well-known book on American birds contains 119 plates “drawn and colored from nature.” Later remembered as someone who died alone in his office, Studer dedicates this edition to his deceased wife Caroline, “the builder of my hopes,” and to his daughters Mary Francisca and Anna Regina “the sweet companions of my labors,” who died within a week of each other. Studer’s popular history of each species is lively; the first entry for the bald eagle quotes Benjamin Franklin’s poor opinion of this bird, excerpted here: “For my part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly…” Concluding his description of the ill-fated passenger pigeon, destined for extinction within two decades, Studer writes: “There is no zoological garden where this species is wanting.” While many of these volumes are broken apart to sell plates individually, this one is complete and with care will be available to future ornithologists and book lovers alike.