The Quadrupeds of North America. New York: V.G. Audubon, [1849]-1851-54.
31 original parts. 8vo (271 x 184 mm). 155 hand-colored lithographed plates by W.E. Hitchcock and R. Trembly after J.J. and John Wodehouse Audubon. Original buff-colored wrappers printed in black. Lacks front wrapper to parts 1, 8, 31 and back wrapper for parts 5, 10, 19, occasional scattered foxing, mainly affecting text and plate guards, only rarely affecting plates, plates generally clean, most wrappers with loss to spine, some wrappers detached, some tears and spots.

FIRST OCTAVO EDITION IN ORIGINAL PARTS, mixed issue, with 1851 title page for vol 1. Containing five more plates than the folio edition of 1845-48. 79 of the plates were drawn by John James Audubon, and 76 by his son, John Woodhouse Audubon. As early as 1839, Audubon was eager to bring out a folio edition of North American mammals similar to that of his Birds, but upon the urging of his friend the Reverend John Bachman—who insisted the research hadn't yet been done to complete such an undertaking—Audubon postponed his plans and spent the next several years traveling the country, observing and drawing specimens and selling subscriptions for the work. Bachman was enlisted to write the text and—aided by Audubon's sons, John Wodehouse and Victor—came to be the driving force in the publication of this octavo edition, after Audubon fell ill around the time of publication of the first volume, then died before the second and third volumes could be published. Approximately 2,000 copies of the first edition were printed, corresponding to the number of subscribers. Church 1357; Clark & Bannon pp 73-76; Nissen ZBI 163; Sabin 2368.