WILD SPORTS and NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HIGHLANDS. By Charles St. John. With introduction and notes by the Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bt., and fifty illustrations, thirty being reproduced in colour, from pictures by G. Denholm Armour and Edwin Alexander

(1846) 1919 Foulis edition. 4to (200 x 267mm). Ppxxx,472 + 4pp ads. Tipped-in colour plates, b/w illustrations. Binding B. Light tan buckram, titled in gilt on spine, red deer vignette above title in dark brown on upper board, top edge stained. *.

A fascinating perspective on sport and wildlife of the Scottish Highlands in the early years of the 19th century. Contains chapters on angling in loch and river for trout, salmon and char; shooting snipe, grouse and pigeon, etc; deer stalking and shooting; wildfowling; poaching and gamekeeping; seal shooting; falconry, etc. The natural history of the region is also covered, with descriptions of the various game animals, birds, and fish which dominate the area. * This 1919 edition, published by T.N. Foulis and with an extensive biographical essay by Sir Herbert Maxwell, is seen in several different bindings. Mostly seen in tan buckram with brown titles to the upper board and gilt titles to the spine. The upper board may or may not carry a red deer vignette which may be placed above or below the title. We have also seen a copy in grey cloth with silver-gilt titles to the spine. Some copies have rough-cut page edges whilst others are trimmed. Presumably copies were bound in relatively small batches as they were sold using whatever cloth and tools were available. A contemporary publisher's advertisement states a published price of 30s. Along with all of these variants of the standard edition the publisher also issued a de luxe edition, bound in vellum, limited to 250 numbered copies at a price of GBP 3. 3s.