Very rare only published volume of Die Vögel am Nil by Alexander Koenig (1858-1940), a monograph of the birds of prey of the entire Nile region, with many beautiful plates. Koenig traveled to the Nile six times to study the local fauna and bundled his findings in this second volume, that was finished near the end of his life. He was a well-studied, productive and wealthy man and an avid collector, for which he founded the renowned Museum Koenig in Bonn in 1912. In 1964 the 'first' volume was published posthumously in Bonn by the Alexander Koenig Stiftung under the title Alexander Koenigs Reisen am Nil. Koenig had first published his studies on Egyptian birds of prey in the Journal für Ornithologie during the course of many years (1907-1932) under the title Avifauna Aegyptiaca, with some plates. All these were brought together and enlarged with additions and plates in Die Vögel am Nil. The plates that were also published in the journals are marked with 'Avif. Aeg.'. The birds are divided in three types: vultures, falcons and owls. The chromolithographed plates of vultures are made by F. Naubaur after E. de Maes (the eggs only by De Maes). Most plates of falcons are signed on the plate FR (A. Frisch) and made by Otto Kleinschmidt and printed at Kunstanstalt Köhler in Gera (Germany), some others are by F. Neubaur and E. de Maes. A plate with eggs (XLIX) is made by Paul Preiss. Most of the owls are done by F. Neubaur with the exception of plate LIV, which is done by JCK (Keulmans). Ornithological artist Otto Kleinschmidt was also a collector of species of birds. His collections of over 10.000 specimens was sold in 1935 to Museum Koenig.
In fine condition. Anker 266; Nissen IVB 524.