Featured in this lot is a rare 1980 deluxe edition of, "The Birds of Arabia" by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen in 1954. This book is a deluxe edition with only 250 copies in circulation throughout the world. This book is number 157. This is a very attractive reprint of a work first published by Meinerzhagen in 1954. This deluxe edition is in a larger format than the original edition and features an original letter from Henry Sotheran providing instructions for the care of the book is laid in at front. Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, (3 March 1878 - 17 June 1967) was a British soldier, intelligence officer and ornithologist. In 1948-49, he was accompanied by Dr. Phillip Clancey on an ornithological expedition to Arabia, Yemen, Aden, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa. As the author of numerous taxonomic and other works on birds, and possessing a vast collection of bird and bird lice specimens, he was long considered one of Britain's greatest ornithologists. Garfield claims Meinhertzhagen's magnum opus, Birds of Arabia (1954), was based on the unpublished manuscript of another naturalist, 3 George Bates, who has been insufficiently credited in the work. The book features a leather and light green canvas front and back cover, with a ridged leather spine. The spine features gold embossed images of birds and a sword and palm tree, along with the title and author's name in embossed gold lettering. The outside pages are gilted in gold. The book is in very good condition with no signs of obvious damage. The book measures 13 1/2" L x 10" W x 2 1/2" D.