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Thomas C Jerdon, Illustrations of Indian Ornithology: Containing Fifty Figures of New, Unfigured and Interesting Species of Birds, Chiefly from the South of India, Madras: Printed by P.R. Hunt, American Mission Press, 1847

Title leaf, plate list, and 50 finely hand-coloured lithographed plates, some heightened with gum Arabic, (Plates XXVIII and XXXIV have captions printed on slips; plates XL, XLIX and L have plate numbers printed on slips) with accompanying text, species list on the leaf at end. The plates are numbered from I to L, the captions corresponding to the numbers on the plate are listed at the front, plates variously signed: Printed by Lithographer C.V. Kistnarajoo, R.E.B, Leonard, Miller; Prel. lith Linn imp.; Reeve Brothers; Reeve (London) imp.; full leather-bound with gilt text and decoration at the spine with 5 raised bands
32 x 25.5 x 3 cm


LIST OF PLATES
1. Nisaetus Bonelli / 2. Leucocirca Albofrontata / 3. Zanclostomus Viridirostris / 4. Accipiter Besra / 5. Picus Hodgsonii / 6. Prinia Cursitans / 7. Muscipeta Paradisea / 8. Turdus Wardii / 9. Scolopax Nemoiicola / 10. Pterocles Quadricinctus / 11. Phfenicornis Flammeus / 12. Falco Peregrinator / 13. Crateropus Delesserti / 14. Muscicapa Albicaudata / 15. Oriolus Indicus/ 16. Ardea Flavicollis / 17. Lanius Nigriceps/ 18. Pateornis Columboides / 19. Malacocircus Griseus / 20. Petrocincla Pandoo / 21. Vinago Bicincta / 22. Pastor Blythii / 23. Dendrocygna Major / 24. Caprimulgus Indicus / 25. Ceyx Tridactyla / 26. Bucco Viridis / 27. Buteo Rufiventer / 28. Falco Peregrinator / 29. Accipiter Besra / 30. Strix Candidus / 31. Brachypus Poioicephalus / 32. Muscicapula Sapphira / 33. Otis Aurita / 34. Anas Caryophyllacea / 35. Pycnonotus Xantholasnius / 36. Pterocles Quadricinctus / 37. Brachypus Rubineus / 38. Mirafra Erythroptera / 39. Dicaeum Concolor / 40. Picus Cordatus / 41. Scops Sunia / 42. Francolinus Benulasa / 43. Phyllornis Jerdoni / 44. Falco Luggur / 45. Anthus Similis / 46. Parus Nuchalis / 47. Picus Ceylonus / 48. Columba Elphinstonii / 49. Xiphoramphus Superciliaris / 50. Indicator Xantlionotus

Originally published in four numbers, 1843-1847. This is the single volume edition of 1847.

Jerdon (1811-1872), was a medical doctor to the East India Company, who arrived in Madras in 1836. An enthusiastic naturalist, he studied bird species, the fishes of the Bay of Bengal, Himalayan flora etc., and he published a number of important works.

In his introduction the author mentions that the forty-seven species depicted "the great majority of them are figured here for the first time, and either improved figures, or different states of plumage, compose the remainder of the drawings". Three of the birds are from the Himalayas, one from Ceylon, and the "rest inhabit the peninsula of India".

This book has become a valuable and scarce rarity in the world of ornithological bibliography and bibliophily. It was the first lithographic work, on birds, which showcased the work of native Indian artists, and a native Indian who lithographed and printed nearly half the plates.

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