Over The Years I Have Collected A Small Number Of Old Books,

mostly concerning fish and fishkeeping, 

but I also have a few early books on animals, birds and other creatures, and this is the type of book I am talking about, titled, and it is a long one! The Museum of Natural History: Being a Popular Account of the Structure, Habits, and Classification of the Various Departments of the Animal Kingdom: Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Shells, and Insects, Including the Insects Destructive to Agriculture,

published in London by William MacKenzie,

it runs to 4 volumes,

Volume I, 'Mammalia', illustrated with a colour title page, and thirty-four plates, thirty-one of which are in colour, and in-text engravings.

Volume II, 'Birds', illustrated with thirty-one plates, thirty of which are in colour, and in-text engravings.

Volume III, 'Reptiles and Fishes', illustrated with twenty-nine plates, nine of which are in colour, and in-text engravings.

Volume IV, 'Insects, Molusca, & Radiata', 

illustrated with forty-two plates, six of which are in colour, and in-text engravings,

and was published 1859-62, the books are by Sir John Richardson, William S. Dallas, T. Spencer Cobbold, William Baird, and Adam White,

the books are illustrated with over one-hundred plates in both colour and monochrome,

of course this was published before the days of colour photography, so all of the illustrations were hand drawn,

which is why I enjoy books like this so much, the books are available at Rooke Books, on this page here, all 4 yours for £490.00, would I like them? yes please!