London: Author, [1878]-1880- [1881]. Quarto, one coloured map, one coloured egg plate, 33 handcoloured plates by Keulemans of the Ceylonese endemics. Contemporary red calf and blue boards with gilt lettering "Royal Australasian Ornithologist Union presented to the R.A.O.U. by its first president the author". All edges speckled, the R.A.O.U. library stamp on title page and first leaf of volume two, modern endpaper in volume one bound to match, expert paper repair on title page and some early leaves, with appendices two and three (often lacking), a fine crisp set and a superb association copy.

William Vincent Legge (1841-1918) was born in Tasmania in 1841 and educated in England after which he joined the Royal Artillery. He was stationed in Ceylon and found time to pursue his serious interest in ornithology. He became secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society and reorganised the Colombo Museum. Birds of Ceylon was written in England after he left Ceylon in 1877. Colonel Legge came back to Tasmania and took on the vital task of organising the defence of Hobart. His interest in natural history, particularly birds, never waned and he was one of the founders of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union and its first president.

PROVENANCE: formerly the copy of Birds Australia, originally (at the time of Legge's presidency) known as the Australasian Ornithologists' Union. This copy is almost certainly in an Australian binding and has the scarce final appendix titled "After-note published with the second issue of book, February 1881.

Anker 284; Fine bird books (reprint) p. 115; Nissen IVB 539; Nissen SVB 294; Whittell pp.421-3; Wood p. 430; Zimmer pp.382-3.