The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports.

First edition of "The first color-plate sporting book printed in America"(Grolier/Henderson). Quarto, 3 volumes. bound in contemporary half morocco over marbled boards, top edge gilt. Three engraved titles, 2 engraved portraits, and 57 lithographic plates after Thomas Doughty and others (comprising 53 hand-colored lithographs, one colored etching, two uncolored engravings and one uncolored wood-engraving), 17 in-text wood engravings, index leaves printed on blue paper trimmed, mounted, and bound into vol.III. According to Bennett, Volume III is perhaps the most difficult of all American sport items to find...Artistically Vol. 1 is much the most important, for it contains the original plates by Thos. Doughty, famous painter and founding-father of the Hudson River School." Bennett, p. 35; Grolier/Henderson, p. 40; Howes D-433;