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John Gould, The Birds of Asia. Part XX. London: Published by the Author, 1 April 1868

16 hand-coloured lithographic plates, numbered Pl. 4–19, each with accompanying descriptive letterpress text. Text, and 16 hand-coloured lithographic plates by Joseph Wolf or John Gould in collaboration with H C Richter, and they were printed by Hullmandel & Walton, one of the foremost lithographic firms of the 19th century, heightened with gum Arabic; original printed brown wrappers with lithographed vignettes of pheasants and decorative letterpress, recently rebacked in navy blue quarter faux leather with a brick-red leather spine label titled in gilt “THE BIRDS OF ASIA / J. GOULD, F.R.S.” in serifed capitals; edges uncut; housed within the original plain rear wrapper. The upper wrapper bears the printed publication details: Published by the Author, 26 Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, W.C., April 1st, 1890. Contents listed in two columns, including species such as Ptilorhis Paradiseus, Garrulus Salviae, Calocitta Albirenteris, and Lophospiza ferruginea.
22.5 x 15.5 in (57 x 39.5 cm)

LIST OF PLATES
1. Red-naped Falcon (Falco babylonicus, Gurney) – Pl. 4
Lithographed by Joseph Wolf and H. C. Richter
2. Saker Falcon (Falco sacer) – Pl. 5
Lithographed by Joseph Wolf and H. C. Richter
3. Lanner Falcon (Falco lanarius) – Pl. 6
Lithographed by Joseph Wolf and H. C. Richter
4. Nepaulese Horned Pheasant (Ceriornis satyra) – Pl. 7
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
5. Spotted Creeper (Salpornis spilonota) – Pl. 8
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
6. Slate-coloured Partridge (Malacoturnix superciliosus) – Pl. 9
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
7. Allied Grosbeak (Hesperiphona affinis, Blyth) – Pl. 10
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
8. Western Mosque-Swallow (Cecropis rufula) – Pl. 11
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
9. Dauria Mosque-Swallow (Cecropis daurica) – Pl. 12
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
10. Indian Mosque-Swallow (Cecropis erythropygia) – Pl. 13
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
11. Ceylonese Mosque-Swallow (Cecropis hyperythra) – Pl. 14
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
12. Nepaul Martin (Delichon nipalensis) – Pl. 15
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
13. Bungalow-Swallow (Hypurolepis domicola) – Pl. 16
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
14. Indian Cliff-Swallow (Lagenoplastes fluvicola) – Pl. 17
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
15. Sultan Tit (Melanoclora sultanea) – Pl. 18
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter
16. White-bellied Callene (Callene albiventris) – Pl. 19
Lithographed by John Gould and H. C. Richter

GOULD’S FINAL FLIGHT: VOLUME XX OF THE BIRDS OF ASIA, WITH 16 HAND-COLOURED LITHOGRAPHS BY GOULD AND WOLF

Issued as Part XX of the monumental The Birds of Asia, this fascicle contains studies of falcons, pheasants, partridges, creepers, grosbeaks, and various species of South Asian and Himalayan swallows and martins. The vibrant execution of avian form and plumage—drawn from specimens and field observations—epitomises Gould’s exacting naturalist vision and Wolf’s dramatic yet anatomically precise style.

This volume—Volume XX—from The Birds of Asia constitutes a remarkable standalone example from John Gould’s towering ornithological project, one which spanned more than three decades and remains among the most visually and scientifically ambitious natural history publications of the 19th century. With contributions by Gould's trusted collaborators H.C. Richter and William Hart, this volume showcases the final artistic and scientific momentum of the series, offering a rich concentration of avian species from the forests, wetlands, and highlands of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

At once an object of natural science and aesthetic delight, this volume is a microcosm of Gould’s encyclopaedic vision—pairing vivid, anatomically precise bird studies with a taxonomical structure that reflected the rapidly growing ornithological knowledge of the Victorian era.

John Gould (1804–1881) was a pre-eminent British ornithologist and publisher, widely considered one of the great visual chroniclers of avian life. Often referred to as the “British Audubon,” Gould combined scientific ambition with commercial acumen, issuing a dozen large-format folios documenting birds from Europe, Australia, the Himalayas, the Americas, and Asia. His influence extended far beyond the drawing room: his taxonomic insights directly informed Charles Darwin’s work during and after the voyage of the Beagle.

The Birds of Asia (1850–1883) was one of Gould’s most extensive undertakings, published in seven volumes comprising over 530 hand-coloured lithographs. It drew upon newly available material from India, Burma, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Nepal, the Himalayas, China, and Southeast Asia—regions increasingly accessible through colonial expeditions, missionary reports, and museum collections.

Each plate—drawn on stone and hand-finished—is a testament to the era’s pinnacle of scientific lithography. In Volume XX, birds such as the Himalayan monal, pittas, pheasants, and parakeets are depicted in vibrant naturalistic settings, reflecting not only zoological fidelity but also a romanticised imperial gaze upon Asia’s exotic natural wealth. The volume includes species that had only recently been described in Western scientific literature, several based on field specimens or firsthand sketches sent to Gould by colonial officials and collectors.

Published in 1868, Volume XX represents a late but distinctive phase in the Birds of Asia series, produced when Gould’s collaboration with William Hart—a master of avian lithography—was at its zenith. It includes birds from Kashmir, Assam, Burma, and the Andaman Islands, capturing species diversity across ecological zones and reflecting Gould’s commitment to both breadth and precision.

Unlike earlier volumes, which tended to group taxonomic families, this volume reflects a mature and eclectic selection of species, mirroring Gould’s final burst of intellectual energy before his death in 1881. It was completed in the context of accelerating zoological classification and global specimen exchange, making it a scientifically rich and aesthetically superb example of Victorian ornithology in transition.

While complete sets of The Birds of Asia are exceptionally rare and command premium values, individual volumes—especially later ones such as this—are highly sought after for their standalone richness. Volume XX is particularly desirable for its compositionally expressive plates and its representation of some of the most ornately plumed birds in the series. It is a superb acquisition for collectors of natural history, South Asian studies, and 19th-century scientific illustration.

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