WILLUGHBY, F. & RAY, J.

Ornithologiae Libri Tres: In quibus Aves omnes hactenus cognitae in methodum naturis suis convenientem redactae accurate decrebuntur, Descriptiones Iconibus elegantissimis & vivarum Avium simillimis, Aeri incisis illustrantur

London, Joannis Martyn, 1676. Folio (405 x 270mm). Title in red and black with the engraved arms of John Ray and 77 engraved plates beautifully coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary blind-stamped pigskin over boards, elaborate gilt central device on upper and lower covers.

One of the very few Large Paper copies with splendid contemporary colouring of this landmark of ornithological writing. According to Mullens and Swann Willughby was 'the greatest of our earlier ornithologists'. Large-Paper copies were printed on thick and fine paper. The title reset and printed in red and black, with addition after J. Raius, reading 'Sumptus in chalcographos fecit D.E. Willughby', and an engraved coat-of-arms. The colouring is outstanding and prepared by a professional illuminator, the palate is rich and varied, using a lot of body colour. Mullens and Swann mention a coloured copy at the Westfield Place Library. "It was with Willughby's great book, published in 1676, that the classical systematics were finally abandoned in favour of a system based on form rather than function.

Francis Willughby (1635-1672) never lived to see his book published, for he died after a long illness on 3 july 1672, at the age of only 37, leaving a mass of notes and papers which were edited by his faithful friend and tutor John Ray (1628-1705). It was probable that Ray was as much, if not more, responsible for the content of the book than Willughby, but he refused to take any credit. Willughby's book is important, too, for another reason. It was the last attempt to write everything that was known about birds in one work. After this time, the volume of information increased so enormously that no one person was capable of digesting it all" (Walters, A concise history of ornithology p. 37). Ray and Willughby studied birdlife together. In 1662 they visited the west coast of England, in 1663 they visited the Netherlands, journeyed up the Rhine Valley to Zurich, visited Italy, and Willughby continued to Spain.
 
Some marginal paper repair.
 
Nissen IVB, 991; Zimmer 677: 'The cornerstone of modern systematic ornithology, being the first book on the classification of birds without respect to geographical boundaries'.