[ORNITHOLOGY]. Armand DAVID (1826-1900), Basque Lazarist missionary, zoologist, botanist and ornithologist in China, Mongolia and Tibet, and correspondent for the Muséum d'Histoire naturelle. He wrote numerous reference works on Asian birds, including Les Oiseaux de la Chine with Oustalet. Important set of 19 documents: - Correspondence of 12 autograph letters signed by Father David, addressed to the Count of RIOCOUR, ornithologist and bird collector. Peking, Paris, Bayonne and Algiers and s.l., 1865 to 1882. 44 pp. in-8. Exceptional correspondence devoted to ornithology. Peking, September 22, 1865: "[...] It was by myself and with great difficulty that I was able to take, prepare and send the few birds that are in the Museum [...] through the Chinese apathetics. [...] The number of species that I have observed here amounts to two hundred and sixty, and I possess only nine or ten of these, which are the falcata anas, Pyrrhula rosea, Emberiza spodocephala, Chrysophris, fucata, Phythyoruis [...]". David will be sending birds to Riaucour, and in return expects birds "from hot countries or remarkable for extraordinary characters, of which I would like to gather as many species as possible in a collection that I am forming here to attract and interest our Chinese papathists [...]". Peking, April 29 1868: "[...] When I left for Mongolia, I left a small box in Peking containing some fifteen bird skins [...]" entrusted to the care of his colleague M. Favier. It was returned to him, and he mentions his shipments of birds for the Muséum and lists the species destined for the ornithologist Jules Verreaux. Père David mentions his work on the birds of Upper China; he was unable to obtain a Macé's Eagle "which is peculiar to India" or a Mandarin Teal; he was lucky enough to observe a rare Hirundo refula; the catalog of M. d'Hamonville's catalogue; a bird sale at Drouot, where he wanted to buy a barn owl, a nebula owl, a capercaillie and a pink spoonbill; the Lazarist missionary goes on to talk about his observations of African birds from Algiers, the Zoological Society, their colleagues and work (Vian, Alléon, the Marquis Doria and Professor Enrico Hillyer Giglioli in Italy, their respective collections; he discusses and compares rare birds, etc.). Dense, worth studying. - 5 documents in Count de Riocour's hand containing three lists of bird names contained in crates sent by Armand David (with drawn symbols) to Count de Riocour; a copy of a letter from David to Riocour and a draft of a scientific letter from Riocour to Armand David. - Set of 2 prints in blue waiting covers, wide margins. From the Bibliothèque du Comte de Riocour: "Catalogue des oiseaux de Chine observés dans la partie septentrionale de l'Epire (au nord du fleuve-bleu". 12 pp. large in-4 (32.6 x 25 cm). - Rapport adressé à MM. Les professeurs-administrateurs du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle [...] le 15 décembre 1871". Offprint, 24 pp. large in-4 (32.6 x 25 cm). Large margins. The Bibliothèque nationale de France owns a copy of the "Catalogue des oiseaux composant le cabinet de M. le Cte de Riocour, à Aulnois" (Nancy, Barbier, 1829), under inventory number S-24735).