BETTONI, Eugenio (1845-1898). Storia naturale degli uccelli che nidificano in Lombardia ad illustrazione della raccolta ornitologica dei fratelli Ercole ed Ernesto Turati. Milan: coi tipi del Pio Istituto del Patronato, 1865-1868. First edition, a larger copy than usual, with all the full-page plates bound in, of one of the most precious and scarce Italian ornithology books, printed in only 100 copies and the only work dedicated to the various species of birds nesting in Lombardy. The work is illustrated with 121 splendid coloured lithographs drawn and engraved by Oscar Dressler, depicting the birds at various ages and in their natural environment. Each plate is accompanied by a detailed description of the bird, its habits, singing and searching for food, nest, eggs and chicks. The description is preceded by a list of the birds' names: in Latin (the names given by different ornithologists), in Italian, and in Lombard dialect. At the end of the second volume, there is a detailed description of the birds' respective families. 2 parts in 3 volumes, folio, (560 x 345mm the first 2 volumes, 640x 490mm the third). 1 title page, 120 chromolithographic plates all full-page and a total of 195 text pages divided as follows: vol. I: 52 plates, title-page, half-title, chromolithographic frontispiece, 76 text leaves; vol. II: 53 plates, half-title, title-page, 106 text leaves; vol. III: 15 plates, 16 text sheets (light spotting). Contemporary half-morocco binding, title gilt to spine (some dust-soiling, minor chipping). A diagram of the composition of the individual volumes with the sequence of the plates, the species represented and the relative number of explanation leaves is available on request. Provenance: Presentation of the work by bookseller Carlo Alberto Chiesa (1926-1998) dated December 1970 in pencil. (1)