OF A FEATHER. An Illustrated Lexicon of Avian Collective Nouns. Terms of Assembly. Group Names and Associated Terms.

Limited edition. Signed by the author. Inscribed presentation copy. Publisher's original dark orange cloth with gilt titles to the spine, and with gilt decoration to the upper board, in the beige cloth slipcase. With an inscribed slip fixed to the front endpaper and a publisher's notice loosely laid in. Richly illustrated throughout with 31 full-page black and white wood engravings and 30 small engravings by Colin See-Paynton. Printed in black and red throughout. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout, and without previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. Housed in the structurally sound slipcase, which has just a hint of rubbing to the extremities.

Inscribed in blue ink on a publisher's slip "Many thanks. I have had such / fun with this book. / I hope that your delight in / having it will be as great as / mine in making it. / Best wishes / Colin See-Paynton". Issued in an edition of 750 copies, from which this example is numbered 128, and signed by the author and artist in blue ink on the colophon. A beautifully produced, large format edition of See-Paynton's collaborative work with Sir David Attenborough, first published by Gwasg Gregynog in 2008. An exhibition of the same name was held from 2007-2010 in various galleries across the UK. The book forms part of many special collections around the world, including The New York Public Library, The State Library of Victoria, Australia, The British Library, and The Ashmolean. "Colin See-Paynton has introduced yet another vision to the rich tradition of wood engraving. [...] His delight in the lines of a bird so elegantly inscribed by the cut of his graver, his skill in varying texture even though he only has black and white with which to do so, his palpable pleasure in composing his subjects into joyous designs have brought something new to the portrayal of birds. It is a true privilege to provide these few words to introduce them" (Sir David Attenborough, in his foreword).