British Song Birds; being Popular Descriptions and Anecdotes of the Choristers of the Groves

Description:

First edition. Scarce.

Condition

small 8vo, cont. full leather, raised bands to spine, gilt dec. to spine compartments,, border and edges of both boards, inner dentelles, aeg; joints rubbed with minor wear. Flyleaves foxed; slight browning to page margins. Vg. Presentation inscription from the author to William Harland Esq. M.D., University of Edinburgh, dated 1844. William Aurelius Harland (1822-1858), went to Hong Kong in 1846 to escape from an unwise marriage (to a servant girl); there he worked as a surgeon at the seamen's hospital, and performed the first surgical operation in Hong Kong with the use of chloroform. In 1858 he became Colonial Surgeon, but died a few months later.