A Three-Volume Set of the Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States by Edward Howe Forbush. The set was published by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture between 1925 and 1929. Part I is about the Water Birds, Marsh Birds and Shore Birds, Illustrated with Colored Plates from drawings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Figures and Cuts from Drawings and Photographs by the author and others, issued by Authority of the Legistature 1928, with a date of 1925 on the copyright page and a note which says it was reprinted in October 1928, so this is a 2nd edition, and it was printed by the Norwood Press in Norwood, Mass. It has bright gilt lettering on the spine and front cover, blank endpapers, a 3 page Preface, 6 pages of Contents, a 4 page List of Illustrations (Plates) , a 13 page Introduction, 33 color plates, and 481 pages of text. Part II is titled Land Birds from Bob-Whites to Grackles, with gilt lettering on the spine and front cover, blank endpapers, a 2 page Preface, 4 pages of Contents, a 3 page List of Illustrations (Plates), a 38 page Introduction, 28 color plates, 461 pages of text, and it's dated 1927 on the title page and copyright page, which makes this a first edition. Part III is titled Land Birds from Sparrows to Thrushes, with gilt lettering on the spine and front cover, blank endpapers,a 3 page Preface, 4 pages of Contents, a 3 page List of Illustrations, followed by a 32 page biographical sketch of the author, 31 color plates, 444 pages of text, and an Index of Scientific Names and another Index of Common Names, for a total of 466 pages altogether, and it is dated 1929 on the title page and copyright page, which makes this a first edition too. Forbush (1858 - 1929) was a noted Massachusetts ornithologist and a prolific writer, best known for his book Birds of New England. Born in Quincy, Mass., Forbush moved to West Roxbury, then Worcester, where he was appointed Curator of Ornithology at the Worcester Natural History Society when he was just 16. In 1893, he was appointed Ornithologist to the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture; his primary studies at the time were "economic ornithology", which determined whether a particular species of bird was beneficial or detrimental to agriculture, and in 1908 he became the Massachusetts State Ornithologist. He helped found the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and his work "Birds of Massachusetts..." is a valuable reference about New England birds and birds in other parts of the country as well. Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874 - 1927) was an American ornithologist, illustrator and artist who set a rigorous standard for ornithological art and was considered one of the most prolific bird artists in America, second only to his guiding predecessor, John James Audubon. The books all measure 10 x 7 3/4 in. wide, with tight bindings, very clean pages, and illustrations; Part I has the lightest of rubbing at the tips and one tip is curled in. Part II has light bumps on the crown and heel of the spine, light wear on the tips and one tip is curled in. Part III has light bumps on the heel and crown of the spine, light wear at the tips and two tips curled in, and light offset on the title page from the frontis portrait of Forbush. So, this 3 volume set by a bird watcher includes 2 first editions and 1 second edition, with a ton of information about bird life in New England and elsewhere, and an attractive set for a bird buff or budding ornithologist. #1683 #37