So your clue here was the bird, the cuckoo, which to many people is the real sign that Spring has sprung. And the first time you hear that unmistakeable sound is usually in mid April. Strangely this has not become earlier like the hawthorn, because traditionally it starts singing in the south of England on St. Tiburtius`s Day, which is the fourteenth of April, and it slowly moves up to the north of England until its song falls silent in June. However I have not been able to find a link between the cuckoo and the saint. So if anyone knows it do let us know.
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index says that this company was "founded 1901. Combination of various firms, see RB.7 and RB.18. Trading 1956. Almost all cards bear the name of the Branch and are listed thereunder. The two issues below bear the name of the firm only and were issued in 1902."
Our set comes first - "I/4-1 British Birds. Sm. 67 x 35. Nd. (50) See H.229". Set I/4-2 is a folding card to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, this measures 70 x 40 closed, and the centre shows portraits of the two Royals.
Most of this information is repeated in the updated version of our World Tobacco Issued Index; the only changes relate to the fact that there had been another set issued under this name. That means the reference to there being "two issues below", and the fact that the cards "were issued in 1902" were both deleted. The extra set was issued in 1993, and the cards were untitled but it was given the name of "Russ Abbot`s Advertisements"; they were of medium size, measuring 80 x 47 m/m and there were twelve cards in the set.
H.229 is our handbook. This lists our set as
British Birds (titled series) Fronts in colour. Numbered series of 50. pre-1919.
Imperial Tobacco Company Ltd. Ogdens Ltd.
A) white back
B) Toned back.
The Ogdens version was actually issued in 1905.
But here is a comparison scan between the two backs, which proves that the only difference between the two sets was the text in the bottom box..
The other two books quoted in the text above, RB`s 7 and 18, do not mention our set but are to do with the issuer. RB.7 is our Directory of British Issues. That lists all the companies which were part of The Imperial Tobacco Company (of Great Britain & Ireland) Ltd. However some of them did not join until later, so the scan which follows is from RB.18, the Tobacco War Booklet, and that is much easier to follow - as well as interestingly showing the amounts that the I.T.C. paid for each of those original companies
It also states that as well as the Tobacco War Booklet and the British American Tobacco Company Booklet, there was intended to be a third, "The Imperial Tobacco Company Booklet". But this book was never issued.