Date taken from English Catalogue of Books.

A combined edition of two separately published works by Shirley Hibberd: "Field flowers" and "The fern garden". "The fern garden" includes separate t.p. dated 1872 with edition statement: "Fourth edition.".

Colour wood-engraved plates are unsigned and without imprint. All are with caption titles.

Plates are printed and engraved by Benjamin Fawcett. Cf. McLean, Ruari and Antonia. Benjamin Fawcett: engraver and colour printer, 1988.

Includes small wood-engraved decorative initials and tail-pieces.

Some wood-engraved illustrations within the text are signed: "E. W. Sc.", "E. Whymper Sc." or "E. Whimper Sc.". Two are signed "NF".

Text of "Field flowers" is with the same setting of type, illustrations and colour plates as an edition of this title published in 1870 and another edition published [between 1880 and 1888] by Groombridge and Sons. See McLean D 0520 and McLean D 0521.

Text of "The fern garden" is with the same setting of type, illustrations and colour plates as an 1869 edition of this title, the "Second edition" published in 1870 and the "Eighth edition", published in 1879 by Groombridge and Sons. See McLean D 0517, McLean D 0518 and McLean D 0519.

Includes "Index.": p. [155]-156 and p. [145]-148.

Publisher's advertisements on p. [1-6] at end.

McLean, Ruari and Antonia. Benjamin Fawcett, p. 151.

MASS copy: Bound in red-brown sand-grain cloth blocked in gold, black and blind; a.e.g. Spine with imprint: "Groombridge.". With pale yellow glazed endpapers. With ownership inscription dated 1874: "R. H. B. Bolton.". Some illustrations within the text include some amateur hand-colouring.