Stewart "Ash Coloured Harrier." Pl. 23 from Jardine's "Naturalist's Library"

Stewart. "Ash Coloured Harrier." Pl. 23 From Sir William Jardine’s The Naturalist’s Library. 

Edinburgh: W.H. Lizars, [1833-45].  12 mo.  Engraving by William H. Lizars.  Original hand coloring.  small chip at bottom right corner of margin, not affecting image. Else, very good condition. 

A lovely, delicate image from a series of prints showing all vertebrate species.  These are from Sir William Jardine’s famous Naturalist’s Library, a popular scientific account first issued in 40 volumes between 1833 and 1845.  The prints were finely etched by and published by William H. Lizars, a leading engraver from Edinburgh, well known as the engraver for the first five plates in Audubon’s Birds of America.  With their fine line and soft hand coloring, these are charming British natural history prints, exhibiting the quality and beauty of the best work of the period.