12mo. 140pp, [4]. With an engraved frontispiece, and a further five engraved plates. Original publisher's black roan-backed marbled boards, ruled and lettered in gilt. Lightly rubbed, slight loss to head and foot of spine. Near contemporary inked gift inscription to recto of FFEP, offsetting to title page, occasional light spotting.

An anthology of avian verse 'for the instruction and amusement of young people' compiled by Joseph Taylor (c.1761-1844). The poems, though predominantly uncredited popular compositions, do include Pope's 'The Nightingale', Cowper's 'On the Death of a Favourite Bullfinch', and Dryden's 'Beautiful Description of the Domestic Cock'. The book was first printed in 1808; this edition is a reissue of the 1815 printing with a new title page (the plates remain dated July 13th 1815).