The points of issue
First issue: '1934' printed in the title-page imprint (not only on the verso); the index misprints 'bog-pumper' as 'bob-pumper'; the four color plates carry tissue guards with descriptive letterpress; the Whistling Swan and White (Common) Egret plumages are printed gray or 'dirty.'
Is this the true first?
True first US edition, first issue, published 27 April 1934; only about 2,000 copies, which sold out within roughly ten days. Later issues drop the title-page date (copyright year on the verso only), 'clean' the swan and egret plumage, and the final issue lacks the plate guard sheets.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; the points are issue-states within the same edition. Absence of the title-page '1934' and a corrected index ('bog-pumper') indicate a later issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Field Guide to the Birds a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First issue: '1934' printed in the title-page imprint (not only on the verso); the index misprints 'bog-pumper' as 'bob-pumper'; the four color plates carry tissue guards with descriptive letterpress; the Whistling Swan and White (Common) Egret plumages are printed gray or 'dirty.'
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first US edition, first issue, published 27 April 1934; only about 2,000 copies, which sold out within roughly ten days. Later issues drop the title-page date (copyright year on the verso only), 'clean' the swan and egret plumage, and the final issue lacks the plate guard sheets.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; the points are issue-states within the same edition. Absence of the title-page '1934' and a corrected index ('bog-pumper') indicate a later issue.
I have a first edition of A Field Guide to the Birds — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.