2 volumes in one quarto, contemporary polished tan calf gilt, re-backed, with 100 lightly engraved plates, finely hand-coloured in gouache and enhanced with gum-arabic by William & Matilda Hayes. Marbled endpapers, gilt inner dentelles, spine with five gilt raised bands, lettered in the second compartment, gilt devices in the other five compartments. Includes 19 engravings signed by Hayes and other family members, 2 handwritten agenda and 9 with the handwritten date of 1794, without the menagerie plate as usual, manuscript index at the end of the second volume. This copy has the title and dedication to the 2nd volume, some plates with the watermark 'Whatman 1794'. "Hayes was the first author to systematically record a single private collection of live birds; such a project was not attempted again until 1846" (Jackson, Bird Etchings p.135). In his introduction, Hayes indicates that the illustrations were made by many members of his family. Coloured plates in order: Volume I. 1. The Erne. (signed) 2. The King of the Vultures. (signed) 3. The Crowned African Crane. (signed) 4. The Numidian Crane. (signed) 5. The Painted Pheasant, Male. (signed) 6. The Painted Pheasant, Female. (signed) 7. Touraco. 8. Red-Breasted Long-Tailed Finch, Male. 9. Great Crowned Indian Pigeon. (signed) 10. Shaft-Tailed Whidah, Male. 11. Curasso, Male. 12. Curasso, Female. 13. Pencilled Chinese Pheasant, Male. (signed) 14. Pencilled Chinese Pheasant, Female. (signed) 15. Waxen Chatterer, Male. (signed) 16. Baltimore Oriole, Male. (signed) 17. Alexandrine Parrakeet. 18. Minor Grakle. 19. The Secretary [bird]. (signed) 20. The Wax Bill. (signed) 21. The Crane. 22. Amaduvade. (signed) 23. Black-Faced Bunting, Male. 24. Black-Faced Bunting, Female. 25. Blue-Headed Parrot. 26. Yellow Gold-Finch. 27. Black-Capped Lory. 28. Angola Grosbeak. 29. Summer Duck. 30. Chinese Duck. 31. Blue-Bellied Finch. (signed) 32. Paradise Tanager. 33. Great Bustard, Male. 34. Great Bustard, Female. (signed) 36. Purple Gallinule. (misnumbered) 35. White Stork (signed). (misnumbered) 37. Virginian Eared Owl. 38. Great Red-Crested Cockatoo. 39. Rose-Headed Ring Parrakeet. (signed) 40. Variegated Bunting. 41. Blue Headed Turtle [Pigeon]. 42. Yellow Finch. 43. Java Grosbeak. 44. Red and Blue Maccaw. 45. White Crowned Pigeon. 46. Grenadier Grosbeak. 47. Blue and Yellow Maccaw. 48. Brazilian Finch. 49. Cushew. 50. Chinese Quail. Volume II. 51. Shieldrake, Male. 52. Shoveler, Male. 53. Painted Bunting, Male. 54. Painted Bunting, Female. 55. Blue-Bellied Parrot. 56. Lesser White Cockatoo. 57. Ring Pheasant, Male. 58. Ring Pheasant, Female. 59. Bald Eagle. 60. Black Bellied Grosbeak. 61. Spoonbill. 62. Scarlet Ibis. 63. Weaver Oriole. 64. Dominican Grosbeak. 65. The Hoopoe. 66. Red Headed Guinea Parrakeet. 67. Black Grouse, Male. 68. Black Grouse, Female. 69. Guernsey Partridge. 70. Blue Headed Tanager. 71. Nonpareil Parrot. 72. Cowry Grosbeak. 73. Angola Finch. 74. Variegated Pheasant, Male. 75. Icteric Oriole. 76. White Headed Grosbeak. 77. Blue Jay. 78. Bearded Titmouse, Male. 79. The Green Winged Pigeon. 80. Fasciated Grosbeak. 81. Cardinal Grosbeak. 82. Sapphire Crowned Parrakeet. 83. Yellow Headed Oriole. 84. Jacarina Tanager. 85. Blue Grosbeak. (signed) 86. Green Gold Finch. 87. Moor Buzzard. 88. Spotted Tanager. 89. Cross Bill, Male. 90. Cross Bill, Female. 91. Nicobar Pigeon, Male. 92. Malacca Grosbeak, Male. 93. Francolin Partridge, Male. 94. Striated Grosbeak. 95. Illinois Parrot. 96. Red Winged Oriole. 97. White Jer-falcon. 98. Collared Finch. 99. Crested Peacock, Male. 100. Gold-Crested Warbler.