Pretoria: Author, 1956. Small folio, two watercolour title pages, 26 numbered interleaved leaves with typed text (verso only) on clear parchment paper, 21 signed and dated watercolours; the titlepages and watercolours all approximately 36cm by 25cm and individually mounted on a larger leaf of rag paper 41 cm by 34 cm. The album is red half calf and red cloth with the title "Some South African Birds" on the spine, inner hinges strengthened.

A magnificent album of watercolours of South African birds.

The first title page reads:

'Some South African game birds/studies of certain quails, partridges & francolins etc./ for/ M. E. Bourke esq/ with/ illustrations & (more hesitantly) text/ by/ Richard Findlay'.

All plates are portrait and captioned unless otherwise listed. They are:

1. Ortygornis coqui "Coqui Partridge or Swempi male and female, Dick Findlay 56"
2. Chaetopus adspersus "Red-billed Francolin, Dick Findlay 56"
3. Chaetopus natalensis "Natal Francolin, Dick Findlay 56"
4. Pternistis swainsoni "Swainsons Francolin, Dick Findlay 56"
5. Pternist1s humboldt "Humboldts Francolin, Dick Findlay 56"
6. Coturnix Africana "Cape Quails male and female Dick Findlay 56"
7. Coturnix delegorguei "Harlequin Quails male and female, Dick Findlay 56" Landscape
8. Excalfactoria adansoni "Blue Quails male and female, Dick Findlay 56"
9. Numida mitrata "Crowned Guineafowl Dick Findlay 58"
10. Guttera educardi "Crested guineafowl Dick Findlay 56" Landscape

The second title page reads:

'Shrikes of Southern Africa/ studies of some of the family Laniidae with text/illustrations by Dick Findlay Pretoria 1957'.

All plates are portrait and captioned. They are:

1. Lanius collaris "Fiscal Shrike Dick Findlay 57"
2. Lanius collurio "Red-backed Shrike male and female Dick Findlay 57"
3. Tchagra tchagra "Tchagra Shrike female Dick Findlay 57"
4. Tchagra senegala "Black-headed Bush Shrike male Dick Findlay 57"
5. Laniarus ferrugineus "Boubou Bush Shrike male and female Dick Findlay 58"
6. Laniarus atrococcineus "Black and Crimson Shrike male Dick Findlay 57"
7. Telephorus zeylonus "Bokmakerie Dick Findlay 55"
8. Telephorus quadricolor "Four coloured Bush Shrike male Dick Findlay 57"
9. Laniarius abbotti "Abbotts Bush Shrike male Dick Findlay 57"
10. Prionops poliocephala "Smith's Helmet Shrike Dick Findlay 57"
11. Sigmondus retzii "[Retz's Helmet Shrike] Dick Findlay 57"

This album is of the highest quality, in terms of both the standard of artwork and presentation. All the birds figured are accurately coloured and the simple botanical backgrounds are uncoloured. The title pages are both pleasing simple watercolours using only one or two colours.

THE ARTIST: Richard Findlay (born Pretoria 1928) is a well-known South African natural history painter. He has supplied illustrations for journals and books. Findlay illustrated the 1959 Folio of South African Birds as well as books by Eugine Marias. He is active within South African theatre and visual arts and is a published playwright.