Exemplary of a previously unknown variant with numerous test prints in Empire cover Levaillant, François. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de celle de Toucans et des Barbus. Two volumes. With 110 (of 114; 3 double-leaf or folded copper plates, engraved by Perée and Gremilliet after Jacques Barraband and Auguste, printed in colours by Langlois, Rousset and Millevoy with additional hand-colour, partly with protein, partly increased with gold, plates on solid paper. Imperialfolio 51 x 34 cm. Red cross-sectional chagrin maroquin d. C. (a few scratches, only isolated abrasions, back and joints partly restored or cleverly revised, very lightly rubbed, rubbed and slightly inflated) on 5 double frets with gold-embossed title, the lids with quadruple wide gold-embroidered palmettes in quadruplicated gold fillet mount and with large stylized corner fleurons, Standing edge gilding as zigzag fillet and wide inner edge gilt in triple gold fillets, three-sided gold cut. Paris, Denné & Perlet (1801-)1806. Nissen, IVB, 559 and 560. Anchors 304 and 305. Room, Ayer Library p. 393 (only Vol. I-II). Sitwell Buchanan Fisher, Fine Bird Books, p. 119. Ripley-Yale p. 170. H. Bradley Martin Library 144. Ronsil 1780. David Lank, Nature Classics, 1987, p. 45. – The two main volumes of the famous work in an interesting (and hitherto unknown) print variant, containing numerous plates as sample prints "avant la lettre", often without the later engraved titles. Prints before the font were so far known only as uncolored black-and-white prints; here they are available as colour prints with additional color. Thus, here is a special specimen of the "Nature History of Paradise Birds, Bluerack, Toucans and Beard Birds" (so the titles) illustrated with exceptionally beautiful birds of the tropics and southern areas of the earth. The work was edited by the ornithologist and explorer François Levaillant (1753-1824). Born in Paramaribo, the then capital of Dutch Guiana, today's Surinam, Levaillant mainly explored the birds of the cape regions of Africa ("Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique", 1796-1808 in 6 volumes). In the years 1801 to 1818 he then published the two-volume monumental work (to which a supplemental volume with its own title page was to be added much later) according to the drawings of the talented painter and illustrator Jacques Barraband (1768-1809). "As decorative pieces, Barraband的s birds are striking, and the detailed feather work and bold colouring, especially of his parrots and birds of paradise, set the style for French bird art at the beginning of the 19th century [...] The executives of scientific accuracy prevented him from exercising his creative talents to a degree which non-scientific freedom would have allowed. This longed-for freedom was hung at in his birds of paradise, perhaps his finest work." (David Lank). Tables Nos 34-38, 40-42 and 45 and 47-57 in Volume II are not printed in colour, but color, they are also drawn on other paper. The corresponding part of the text (volume) 75-89 and 93-133), as amended by the comparator copies. (other type, width of the set mirror here 175 mm, comparative sample 185 mm). This Changes are certainly due to the chaotic appearance of individual deliveries (see, for example, the pagination errors in Volume II). The different variants have remained unwritten until now, mainly because of the fact that no three copies of the rare works were present in the same place and thus a direct comparison It was not possible. – Tables 54 are missing in Volume I and Tables 13, 18 and 52 in Volume II, hardly tanned, only rarely isolated minimally flecky, overall in remarkably beautiful condition, the plates printed partly in coloured copper engraving are so finely coloured that each representation became a small gouached masterpiece for itself.