by the author of australia's favourite bird guide

First edition of this illustrated work by the author of what was for decades Australia's leading field guide, What Bird is That?. The present publication is not only a field guide, with eleven colour plates for identification, but also contains significant historical and scientific information and a guide to 'modern and humane methods' for aviarists.

Neville W. Cayley (1886-1950) was the son of the bird artist Neville Henry Penniston Cayley, who had emigrated to Australia from Kent. After art school he focused on ornithology, publishing his first booklet, Our Birds, in 1918. His most important contribution was 'What Bird is That? A Guide to the Birds of Australia (1931), was the first comprehensive field guide that was intended as a bird identification book in Australia. During the early 20th century, there was a growing interest in amateur ornithology, and Cayley had hoped that his book would encourage nature lovers to extend their knowledge and appreciation of Australian bird life... Subsequent editions were published up until the 1990s and it became a classic ornithological work' ('Origins of Australian Ornithology: The Evolution of Australia's Bird Reference Books', Biodiversity Heritage Library).

In addition to What Bird is That?, Cayley illustrated eggs for the Australian Encyclopaedia, published books on specific species (fairy wrens, parrots, and budgerigars) and also illustrated texts on butterflies and furred animals. He served as president of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales and the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union, among others (Australian Dictionary of Biography).

First edition; 8vo; 20 plates of which 11 are in colour for bird identification, and the others are monochrome illustrations from photographs, ownership inscription in blue ink on the front free endpaper, bookplate, spotting to early and late leaves and endpapers, as well as a few small spots to the edges of the text block; original green cloth, titles to spine gilt, corners bumped and worn, cloth lightly rubbed, spine a little toned, very good condition; 332pp.