As long as we're on birds, here is another illustrated work. Around the same time Audubon was publishing the octavo edition of his "Birds of America," William Swainson was publishing an illustrated book of birds from Central and South America. The title is A Selection of the Birds of Brazil and Mexico, and it was published in London in 1841. It contains illustrations of 68 Brazilian birds along with 10 from Mexico. Item 108. £6,500 (US $12,159).

There are numerous books in this catalogue that illustrate people and dress of the day. Here is an example: London Characters, by George Cruikshank. This is a large paper edition of the work from 1827. This edition is extremely rare. Illustrations are of ordinary people, such as the dustman, chimney sweeper, and hackney coachman. £3,500 (US $6,550).

Item 78 provides a turn of the century look at Japan, still a mystery to much of the western world. It is a ten-volume set of photographs and commentary published in Boston in 1897 and attributed to Captain Brinkley: Japan Described and Illustrated by the Japanese Written by Eminent Japanese Authorities and Scholars. Thirty of the photographs are colored by hand. £2,000 (US $3,742).

Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books may be found online at www.shapero.com, or reached by phone at +44 (0)20 7493 0876.