3 volumes. Illustrated with 155 hand-colored lithographed plates after J.J. and J.W. Audubon, drawn on stone by W.E. Hitchcock; tissue guards. (Large 8vo) 26.3x17.8 cm. (10½x7") period brown full morocco, gilt decorations on covers and spine, all edges gilt, brown endpapers. First Octavo Edition.

All half-title pages present. Possibly publisher's deluxe binding. Famed collaboration between Audubon and his sons, John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford, and the Lutheran minister, John Bachman. They travelled through much newly explored territory, illustrating many species that are scarce or endangered today. Beautiful hand-colored plates of hares, squirrels, buffalo, wolves, deer, grizzly bears, etc. The octavo edition was first issued in parts between 1849 and 1854; V.G. Audubon published the first three octavo editions.