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Avilude or Game of Birds

Published July 26, 2020 Updated July 09, 2023

Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880.

1880 USA Noyes & Snow West & Lee Nature & Environment Card Games
Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880

Avilude or ‘Game of Birds’ was first published by West & Lee Game Company, Worcester, Mass, in 1873. [see original patent registration]. Here we are showing the second edition from c.1880. The game contains 64 cards divided into eight groups, each group consisting of four pairs. One card of each pair has a fine engraving of a bird with its name, the companion card has a description. The game was intended to be of scientific and educational value for the study of natural history. See the Rules

Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880 Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880 Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880 Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880

Above: cards from the 2nd edition of Avilude or ‘Game of Birds’ published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880. 64 cards + rules in box.


The Boxes

Box from 1st edition of Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee Game Company, Worcester, Mass, 1873

Above: box from first edition, 1873.

West & Lee were taken over by Noyes & Snow at an unknown date and they, in turn, were taken over by McLoughlin Bros. As can be seen, the game saw several editions, with improvements along the way, no doubt aiming to enhance the instructive character of the game relating to natural history.

See the original 1873 patent registration

Box from 2nd edition of Avilude or Game of Birds published by West & Lee, Worcester, Mass, c.1880

Above: box from second edition, c.1880.

Box from 3rd edition of Avilude or Game of Birds

Above: box from third edition, now apparantly improved.

Box from 4th edition of Avilude or Game of Birds published by Noyes & Snow

Above: glorified box artwork from fourth edition published by Noyes & Snow showing steam ships and railroads in the background.

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By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.

His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.

Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.


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