Subscriber's copy of Gould's second monograph. A scarce subscriber's copy of Gould's second monograph, originally published in three parts, containing thirty four species of trogons: Gould himself identified and recorded twelve new species in this work which were then unknown to science. The majority are inhabitants of America and its islands, with ten from South Asia, and one from Africa.

The Trogonidae family continue to defy modern classification into a larger family such as parrots or toucans. They are the only type of animal with a heterodactyl toe arrangement, encouraging unique scientific classification, and mostly adhere to the hunting and nesting patterns observed by Gould during his observations.

This work fell between Gould's great series of Birds of Europe and Birds of Australia, with Gould setting off for Australia with Elizabeth the same year as the final part of this work was published. He explains his choice of trogons as the subjects of one of his smaller monographs as a desire to create something not 'destitute of some degree of value' considering that this particular 'tribe of birds [have been] hitherto involved in much confusion. Gould also accurately states that 'it would be presumptuous of me to say that this monograph is fully completed, or that I have figured every existing species: on the contrary, I have reason to believe that many will yet be discovered, both in the Old and the New World'. He would be proved right, with twelve species now identified in South-East Asia and elsewhere which now constitute forty-six currently identified species of trogons.

These vividly coloured birds were among Gould's favourites: 'Denizens of the intertropical regions of the Old and New World, they shroud their glories in the deep and gloomy recesses of the forest… dazzled by the brightness of the meridional sun, morning and evening twilight is the season for their activity' (Introduction).

First edition; folio (55 x 39 cm); 36 finely hand-coloured lithographed plates by John and Elizabeth Gould, heightened with gum arabic, 1 of which folding, dedication leaf, list of subscribers, list of plates, armorial bookplate to pastedown, a couple of small tears to folding plate along fold and hinge, ; contemporary half calf, cloth boards, spine in six compartments with gilt morocco lettering piece, minor wear professionally restored, internally a fine copy folding plate not withstanding.

Anker 171; Fine Bird Books, p77; Nissen IVB 381; Zimmer p253.