Volumes II & III (of 3) only. With 105 hand-colored lithographed plates after J.J. and J.W. Audubon, drawn on stone by W.E. Hitchcock; tissue guards. (Large 8vo) 25.8x17 cm. (10¼x6¾") original publisher'd dark blue full morocco, gilt tooling on covers and spines, gilt dentelles. First Octavo Edition,

Famed collaboration between Audubon and his sons, John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford, and the Lutheran minister, John Bachman. They travelled through much newly explored territory, illustrating many species that are scarce or endangered today. Beautiful hand-colored plates of hares, squirrels, buffalo, wolves, deer, grizzly bears, etc. The octavo edition was first issued in parts between 1849 and 1854; V.G. Audubon published the first three octavo editions. With early ownership signaturs of A.B. Shipman on the front pastedowns and title-pages; later bookplates of Charles Walker Andrews.