Abbatius, Baldus Angelus

De admirabili Viperae natura et de mirificis ejusdem facultatibus (second edition)

Noriberdae, (Nuremberg): Rufus & Sebastiani Heusler, 1603. Second edition. Pp. (xvi), 133, (10), engraved title page, 4 engraved woodcuts (3 are anatomical diagrams).  Later one-quarter brown leather over marbled boards, spine with four raised bands, lettered in gilt in one compartment, square 8vo.  Baldus Angelus Abbatius was an Italian physician and naturalist who lived in the later 16th century.  Abbatius was a physician in Pesaro, Italy and his book on vipers contains anatomical descriptions, information on snakebite and on the use of snakes and their venom in medicine.  This volume was the first book published devoted exclusively to snakes.  The first edition was published in 1589; this second edition was printed in 1603.  See BM(NH), p.1. Small round stamp of the University Library of Erlangen-Nuremberg on the title with discarded stamp on verso of the title page.  A bright and clean copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 8930

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Aelianus, Claudius

De Natura Animalium libri XVII. Cum animadversionibus Conradi Gessneri, et Danielis Wilhelmi Trilleri: curante Abrahamo Gronovio, Qui et suas Adnotationes adjecit, 2 volumes complete in a clamshell box

London: G. Bowyer for Soc. for Encouragement of Learning, sold by J. Whiston, etc., 1744. First edition. Pp. xiv, xxvii, (36), 603, (1); (605)-1128, (86), with engraved title- and end- vignette, and with woodcut ornaments. There is Greek and Latin parallel text throughout. Contemporary brown morocco leather, spine with five raised bands, lettered in one compartment, housed in clamshell box covered in green cloth and with brown morocco title/author label on spine lettered in gilt, 4to. This work by Claudius Aelianus (Aelian) was one of the major attempts to classify animals before Linnaeus. There is a section on herpetology. The work was originally written in Greek and later translated into Latin by Gesner. This London edition is based on the first critical edition by Conrad Gesner (1516-1565) and contains commentaries by D. W. Triller (1694-1775). The editor was the Dutch physician Abraham Gronovius (1695-1775). At least 20 editions were published between 1744 and 1760, this being the earliest edition. Old bookplate of Collegium St. Petri Acad. Cantabria with decorative motif on the front endpaper. Some edge-wear and rubbing to the head and foot of the spine, the text is very bright and clean in a recent clamshell box, a clean very good copy..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 9440

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Agassiz, Louis

Monographies d'Echinodermes Vivans et Fossiles, Livraison 1-3

Neuchatel: privately printed by the author, 1838-1842. First edition. Pp. x, 88, (1), viii, 52, 2, 2, 20, iv, 151, (1), iv, 94, 29; with 54 full page lithographed plates (17 plates are hand-colored or partly hand-colored). Recent polished one-quarter black morocco leather, spine with five raised bands bordered with gilt panel lines, over English marbled boards with blue-green endpapers, the three original color-tinted printed wrappers are bound in place, 4to (11 x 8 1/2 inches). This large work includes Premiere Monographie: ""Anatomie du Genre Echinus"" by G. Valentin at the beginning and Quatrieme Monographie: ""Des Dysaster"" by E. Desor at the end. This is the classic early work on the living and fossil echinoderms by Louis Agassiz that was printed privately. Few copies have survived. Based on other collations of this work, it would seem the copy offered lacks one part. See also Nissen ZBI, 47. No ownership marks. An old marginal tear to one color printed wrapper has been repaired, there is scattered foxing, mostly marginal, to some text pages and one plate, the remaining full page plates are bright and clean; a tight and clean copy in very good condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 7393

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Anderson, John

Anatomical and Zoological Researches: Comprising an account of the zoological results of the two expeditions to western Yunnan in 1868 and 1875; and a monograph of the two cetacean genera, Platanista and Orcella, in two volumes (text + hand-colored plates)

London: Bernard Quaritch, 1878 (1879). First edition. Pp. (volume 1): (iv, (1, corrigenda dated 1879), (i)-xxv, (i, title page for Mammalia), 1-985; (volume 2): (iv, title page, half-title), (1, corrigenda), (1)-29 (index to plates), 85 full page lithographic plates (49 are hand-colored) many by Charles Berjeau, and J. G. Keulemans. One-half black leather over orange marbled boards with matching orange marbled endpapers, sm folio (13 x 10.5 inches; 33.5 x 26 cm). This massive two volume set documents two expeditions to northern Burma (Myanmar) and extreme western Yunnan in 1868 and 1875. The publication was limited to 250 copies only. John Anderson joined the 1868 expedition as a medical doctor and naturalist. He collected mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, molluscs, insects and crustaceans. The following taxa are illustrated in the fine hand-colored plates: monkeys (3), otter (1), bamboo rats (4), mouse (1), squirrels (Sciurus) (4), flying squirrels (Pteromys) (2), river dolphin (Orcella) (1), birds (10), turtles (20), molluscs (1), butterflies (1) and an anatomical diagram of cetaceans (1). The remaining 36 black-and-white lithographs depict line drawings of other species encountered on the expedition and many detailed anatomical diagrams of the bones and soft anatomy of cetaceans. Anderson focused specifically on the turtles; this monograph provides a major review of the enormous turtle diversity in South and Southeast Asia (Dr. Kraig Alder, personal comment). Another group singled out by Anderson for monographic treatment are the two Cetacean genera, Orcaella (the Irrawaddy River Dolphin) and Platanista (the South Asian River Dolphin). These two genera are critically endangered today so Anderson’s early observations are of great importance. Other artists that contributed to this work including John Anderson, George H. Ford, Henry H. Goodwin-Austen, Carl Griesbach, E. Loveau, Robert Mintern and George B. Sowerby. No ownership marks. The last five pages of the index of volume 1 with faint corner wrinkle, the top outer corner of the first six pages of volume 2 with a faint crease and some soiling, the text block and hand-colored plates are bright and clean without any foxing or browning, a tight copy in near fine condition in a very attractive binding..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 9658

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Andrews, R. C., Berkey, C. P., Grabau, A. W., Nichols, J. T., Pope, C. H., Allen, G. M. et al.

Collected Works of the Central Asiatic Expeditions to Mongolia and China, in 7 volumes, complete

New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1927-1943. First edition. Pp. (vol. l): l, 1-678, color frontis, 128 photo-plates, 12 text-figures, 3 folding maps; (vol. 2): xxxi, 1-475, color frontis, 43 full page photo-plates/maps, 161 text-figures; (vol. 4): xliii, 1-665, 35 full page halftone plates, 1 color folding geological map, 68 text-figures, (vol. 9): xxxvi, 1-322, 10 full page color plates, 143 text-figures; (vol. 10): lii, 1-604, 27 full page half-tone plates, 78 text-figures; (vol. 11): xxv,1- 620; xxiii, (2), 621-1350, 20 full page photo-plates, 75 distribution maps.  Publisher's original orange cloth lettered and decorated in black on the spine and front cover, lg 4to.  Natural History of Central Asia, volumes 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 11 (all published).  This rare set presents the results of Central Asiatic Expeditions to Mongolia and China conducted during the years 1921-1930 and led by Roy Chapman Andrews.  The publication of these volumes was subsidized by private funds; because these funds ran out, only 7 of the 12 planned volumes were published.  The authors, titles, publication dates of the seven volumes are as follows: Volume 1: Andrews - The New Conquest of Central Asia (1932); Volume 2: Berkey - The Geology of Mongolia (1927); Volume 4: Grabau - The Permian of Mongolia (1931); Volume 9: Nichols - The Fresh-water Fishes of China (1943); Volume 10: Pope - The Reptiles of China (1935); and Volume 11 (Parts 1 and 2 in 2 volumes): Allen - The Mammals of China and Mongolia (1938-1940).  Individually, these volumes are scarce, so the complete set in seven volumes in near fine condition is quite rare indeed. This is a large and heavy set which requires additional shipping. The set weighs 40 lbs, therefore domestic shipping is $65 and international shipping is $220. Some light soiling to the rear cloth covers of two volumes, small bump to front outer corner of volume 4, light wear to cloth at the head and foot of the spine of volume 10, there is an ownership signature of Mary E. Coffey and James E. Coffey on the front attached endpaper of volume 10, there is also an oval name stamp of the Royal Society of Edinburgh on the front endpapers of Vol. 1, 4, and 11 and a very small circular stamp of the same institution at the bottom of the title page of the same three volumes, there are no other ownership marks and almost no signs of use; a bright and clean copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 8566

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Babcock, Harold L.

The Turtles of New England.

Boston: Society of Natural History, 1919. First edition. Pp. (2), 325-431; 16 full page plates (14 of which are fine chromolithographs finished by hand-coloring, 2 black-and-white photo plates). Recent one-half green goat-skin morocco leather with five raised bands, lettered in gilt in two panels on the spine, over light green English marbled boards, and with matching marbled endpapers with the original pale green printed wrappers bound in at the rear, lg 4to (12 x 9 3/4 inches). Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History, volume 8, no. 3. A very rare work issued in a limited edition of only a few hundred copies subsidized by a grant from the Gurdon Saltonstall Fund. Most copies of the original printing were sold by subscription to libraries, museums, or government institutions. Very few copies were made available to the general public. From the private research library of Kraig Adler with his pencil annotation on the front endpaper, small number on the title page, and ink signature on the front wrapper. The original printed wrappers bound in at the rear show light browning, the blank side of the final color plate is soiled, the entire text and all fine color plates are very bright and clean; a near fine copy in a very attractive period one-half leather binding..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 6351

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Bateman, James

A Second Century of Orchidaceous Plants

London: L. Reeve and Co., 1867. First edition Pp. viii, with 100 full-page hand-colored lithographs by W. Fitch, each plate is accompanied by one or two pages of descriptive text. Publisher's original blind-stamped green pebble cloth, lettered in gilt on the spine and front cover, and with the stamped gilt seal (probably after Bateman) on the front cover, lg 4to (12.5 x 10 inches). This fine publication is completely separate work from Hooker's volume 'A Century of Orchidaceous Plants' published in 1846. The Bateman volume consists of 100 fine hand-colored plates selected from orchids published in the 'Curtis Botanical Magazine' from 1846-1866. The selected images were the most attractive and easily cultivated orchidaceous plants. The larger format of the present work allowed these fine illustrations to be published without any folds. New and/or more complete descriptions of these orchids were provided by Bateman. The fine hand-coloring this work is superior to the Curtis Botanical Magazine images. Bateman is considered the leading expert on orchids in the 19th century. He is probably best known from his truly immense work 'Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatamala.' See also Stafleu and Cowan 344, Pritzel 471 and Nissen BBI, 87. No previous ownership marks. A few scattered text pages with mild foxing, the fine hand-colored plates are bright and clean (only 3 plates show the slightest hint of marginal foxing); an exceptionally bright and clean copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 3598

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Keywords: Fine rare orchids orchidology orchidaceous plants hand-colored lithographs Fitch

Bechstein, Johann Matthaus

Herrn de la Cepede's Naturgeschichte der Amphibien, oder der enerlegenden vierfussigen Thiere und der Schlangen: Eine Fortsetzung von Buffon's Naturgeschichte, in five volumes with hand-colored plates

Weimar: Verlage des Industrie: Comptoir's, 1800-1802. First edition. Pp. xxxii, 524; xx, 552; xxvi, 454; xx, 298; xii, 200; 168 mostly hand-colored lithographed plates. Light brown original boards, spine with red and black title/author labels and gilt panel lines, all pages edges in light green, 8vo. This scarce work is a translation into German of Count B.-G.-E- Lacepede’s “Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupedes Ovipares et des Serpens” originally published in 1788-1789. According to Adler’s “History of Herpetology” (p. 33-34), Lacepede’s work was one of the most important herpetological books of its time. The first two volumes of this work is devoted to amphibians and reptiles except for snakes. The following three volumes cover snakes including caecilians and amphisbaenians. According to Adler, Bechstein’s version is far more than a mere translation because he revised it with the addition of new information that appeared subsequent to Lacepede’s work, particularly from the works of German authors such as Blasius Merrem, J. G. Schneider and Johann David Schoepff. Bechstein also added extensive footnotes and additional accounts of new species; all of these are signed with the letter “B”. All of the 168 plates are newly engraved for Bechstein’s work. According to Adler, a large portion of this work is original and perhaps Bechstein was simply using Lacepede’s name merely to publish what is almost his own book and in a field where he had no standing. No ownership marks and few signs of use. Light scattered foxing to title pages with no affect to the plates; a bright and clean copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 9595

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Bedriaga, Jacques de

Wissenschaftliche Resultate der von N.M. Przewalski nach Central-Asien unternommenen Reisen Zoologischer Teil. Band III, Abth. 1: Amphibien und Reptilien. Lieferung (Part) I and II.

St. Petersburg: Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1898-1907. First edition. Pp. 1-70; 71-278; 4 full page lithographic plates with 4 un-paginated plate explanations. Early one-half brown leather with three raised bands on the spine that are highlighted with gilt panel-line decorations, author-title label in black morocco lettered in gilt in the second compartment, over attractive marbled boards, (original pale green wrapper for Part I is bound in place), sm folio. This text is simultaneously presented in Russian and German in parallel columns. This volume presents the herpetological collections made by the Russian explorer Nikolai Przewalsky on his five expeditions to China made from 1867 to 1885. Przewalsky died in Karakol in 1888 as he was about to embark on a sixth expedition to China. Parts I and II, offered here, cover the amphibians and the first part of the Lacertilia (Gekkonidae and Agamidae). Two other parts were also issued in 1909 and 1912 but are not offered here. Very scarce. No ownership marks. Some uniform mild age-toning; a bright and clean copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 4912

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Keywords: Fine and rare herpetology herpetofauna amphibians China reptiles Russian German Nikolai Prezewalsky Bedriaga Lacertilia Gekkonidae Agamidae geckos lizards Agamids dragon lizards dragons

Bedriaga, Jacques de

Wissenschaftliche Resultate der von N.M. Przewalski nach Central-Asien unternommenen Reisen Zoologischer Teil. Band III, Abtheilung 1: Amphibien und Reptilien. Lieferung 1 to 4, complete in four parts

Saint Petersburg: Buchdruckerei der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1898-1912. First edition. Pp. I (blank), II (German title page), III (Russian title page), IV (authorization page), V-VI (contents) + Pp. 1-769 pages + plates I-X (10 uncolored lithographic plates), one photographic text figure. Each plate has an unpaginated page or pages of plate explanations. The book is in parallel Russian and German texts. The manuscript was written in German by Bedriaga and then translated into Russian by Alexander Nikolsky. Original printed gray wrappers, folio (27.9 cm width x 35.7 cm height), housed in a custom-made black cloth clam-shell box. This work presents the herpetological collections made by the Russian explorer Nikolai Przewalsky on his five expeditions to China made from 1867 to 1885. This volume represents the first major scientific treatise on the amphibians and reptiles of northern China. It covers a vast region from the Amur (Heilong Jiang) and Ussuri (Wusuli Jiang) river basins in northeastern China westward through Mongolia, the Ordos Plateau, and Gansu to Chinese Turkestan (later called Sinkiang and today, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region) on the Russo-Kazakh border and to the Tanggula mountains on the border of Tibet. The herpetological collections in toto amounted to some 1,200 specimens and included nine species of amphibians (salamanders 1, frogs 8) and 69 of reptiles (lizards 57, snakes 11, turtles 1), of which 30 were named by Bedriaga. Many of the new species were first published in two papers in the Annuaire du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Petersbourg (in volume 10 for 1905, published in 1907). Bedriaga's other new species were first published in this monograph. Although Bedriaga left Russia in 1873 to live in Germany, France, and Italy, he continued to have an interest in the Russian herpetofauna. The finely detailed plates were lithographed in Milan and Florence and the text was printed in Saint Petersburg (modified after Kraig Adler). From the library of Kraig Adler with his bookplate. Light marginal foxing to the front wrapper of Part 1, minor bump to the top outer corner of Part 2, light browning to the outer margins of the front wrapper of Part 3, a few tissue guards with light foxing, in a fine custom-made black cloth-covered clam-shell box; overall a tight copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 8359

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Belon, Pierre

L'Histoire de la Nature des Oyseaux, avec Leuers Descriptions, & Naifs Portraicts Retirez du Naturel, seven Parts complete, bound in one volume

Paris: Guillaume Cavellat, 1555. First edition. Pp. (28), 381, (1, colophon); general title and six divisional titles each with a large woodcut device, 161 woodcuts in the text, including a portrait of the author, 2 skeletons, and 158 large cuts of birds. Eighteenth-century brown one-quarter calf leather over sprinkled paper-covered boards (the boards are likely the original due to a faint imprint of another cover beneath the sprinkled paper and due to fact that the book is sewn on alum-tawed thongs laced into the boards), tall 4to (13 x 9 inches). Belon's L'Histoire is ""one of the earliest books dealing entirely with birds"" (Ayer, Zimmer, p. 52). The present volume was intended as a compendium of ornithology and contains (the author's) important comparison of human and avian skeletons, which became the foundation of the science of comparative anatomy (see comments in Ronsil, no. 189). This work is a handsome example of the Cavellat issue of this important Renaissance work of science -- one of earliest printed ornithological books (See Nissen IVB 86; Norman 180; Mortimer French 50). Small bookplate on the front free endpaper, old name in ink crossed in the upper outer corner of the title page, no other ownership marks. Two pages have small marginal tears to paper with no effect to the text, the front attached endpaper has two old creases from the board that extend into the first section of the text, all of the text-pages and woodcuts are very bright and clean; a tight and clean copy in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 8076

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Bolus, Harry

Icones Orchidearum Austro-Africanarum Extra-Tropicarum; or, figures, with descriptions, of extra-tropical South African Orchids, in 3 volumes (1896-1911-1913) + The Orchids of the Cape Peninsula (1918), in 4 uniformly-bound volumes

London: William Wesley and Son (1896-1913) + Cape Town: Darter Bros and Co. (1918). First edition. Pp. (vol. 1): vi, (6), (6), with 100 hand-colored lithographic plates (partially colored as called for), each with descriptive text leaves, (5), index, appendix; (vol. 2): pp. vi, frontispiece portrait of the author, with 100 hand-colored lithographic plates (partially colored as called for), each with descriptive text leaves, (3), index; (vol. 3): pp. (6), with 100 hand-colored lithographic plates (partially colored as called for), each with descriptive text leaves, (3), index. + (Orchids Cape Peninsula): pp. xxxiii, 1-141, (1); 119 partially hand-colored plates (as called for), 2 plates are double page.  One-quarter green morocco leather with four raised bands, spine with gilt panel lines bordering the raised bands and with black morocco author/title/volume label lettered in gilt in 2 compartments, over French marbled boards with matching marbled endpapers, lg 8vo (9 3/4 x 6 7/8 inches).  This set contains the complete first edition of Icones Orchidearum Austro-Africanarum Extra-Tropicarum in 3 volumes and the complete second edition of The Orchids of the Cape Peninsula edited by Harriet M.L. Bolus and Alice M. Greene (after the death of Harry Bolus).  These two works are bound uniformly in later fine green morocco over marbled boards with marbled endpapers.  The two works have a total of 419 hand-colored plates - these two works represent the foundation for the study of South African orchids by the first orchidologist of South Africa, Harry Bolus.  This work was issued in a limited edition of 250 copies. From the academic library of botanist Edmund A. C. L. E. Schelpe of Natal University College, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with his printed name and address on the front blank endpaper. The front blank endpapers show scattered light foxing endpapers as do 2 of the 4 title pages; 4 of the 419 hand-colored plates show just a hint of marginal foxing; overall, the text, hand-colored plates and fine green morocco bindings of this four volume set are remarkably clean - a tight and bright copy in fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 5232

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Keywords: Fine rare orchids orchidology botany flora plants flowers South African orchids South Africa Harry Bolus Edmund Schelpe Harriet Bolus Alice Greene

Bonnaterre, Pierre-Joseph

Tableau Encyclopédique et Méthodique des Trois Règnes de la Nature: Erpétologie + Ophiologie

Paris: Chez Panckoucke, 1789-1790. First edition. Pp. xxviii, 70, + 43 fine full-page engravings of snakes; pp. xliv, 76 + 26 fine full-page engravings of frogs, turtles, crocodiles and lizards. Black simulated-leather in snake-skin pattern, lettered in yellow on the spine, sm folio (315 x 230 mm). This is the complete work on herpetology from the “Tableau Encyclopédique et Méthodique.” The 69 engraved plates by Bernard show exceedingly fine detail. Kraig Adler (History of Herpetology, part II, p. 29) writes ""the abbot and naturalist, Pierre-Joseph Bonnaterre (1751-1804), produced one of the earliest illustrated encyclopedias of amphibians and reptiles of the world and was the first to use the French word 'Erpétologie'. Bonnaterre was also employed by the publisher Charles Joseph Panckoucke to write the captions and superintend the production of the plates for several volumes in the series 'Encyclopédie Méthodique', an enormous encyclopedia composed of 196 volumes (1782-1832). Some of France's most distinguished naturalists contributed to this massive set.” Bonnaterre was the author of both herpetology sections of this encyclopedia which are offered here. There is an old (nineteenth century?) circular ink stamp on the title page of the section entitled “Ophiologie”. This volume is from the research collection of herpetologist Arden H. Brame, Jr. with his ink stamp on the front endpaper, later it was from the research collection of herpetologist James R. McCranie with his name stamp also on the front endpaper. The page edges retain the original deckle edges that are aged-toned, there is light staining to the top outer corners of plates 31 and 32 not affecting the images, some occasional marginal browning to text, overall a tight and clean copy in very good condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 9418

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Bourret, René

Les Batraciens de l'Indochine

Hanoi: Institut Océanographique de l'Indochine, 1942. First edition. Pp. x, 547 (6), 191 fine text-figures, 1 map, 4 full page fine color plates. Early dark green cloth, lettered in gilt on the spine and with gilt panel lines at the head and foot of the spine, thick small folio (32 x 22.5 cm). According to Adler, History of Herpetology, volume 1, p. 107: this is the first herpetological review of the amphibians of French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). From the private research collection of Cornell University herpetologist Kraig Adler with his small bookplate on the front attached endpaper and his signature in the top corner of the title page. This work in now very scarce. Light foxing to the front endpaper only, a bright and clean copy in fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 8918

Catalogue: Fine and Rare

Brown, Peter

Nouvelles Illustrations de Zoologie; New Illustrations of Zoology, containing fifty coloured plates of new, curious, and non-descript Birds, with a few Quadrupeds, Reptiles and Insects, in two complete volumes (one-hand-colored volume and one proof copy with monochrome plates)

London: B. White, 1776. First edition. Pp. (8), 1-136, 50 hand-colored lithograph plates + Pp. (8), 50 monochrome lithograph plates, pp. 1-136. Early 20th century full calf leather, spine with five raised bands, lettered in gilt in one compartment on a red morocco title label and with elaborate gilt decorations in the other five compartments, base of spine of each volume has gilt-lettered date of publication, 1776, the word PROOF appears in gilt on the uncolored copy at the spine base, front and rear boards with gilt decorations around the borders and with central gilt motif, lg 4to (12 x 10 inches; 310 x 252 mm). The text of both volumes in simultaneously presented in parallel in French and in English. The page edges are deckled (untrimmed) in the monochrome proof copy. Zimmer (p. 102), states: ""Although the book was published in London, the French text and title is given precedence over the English text and title."" Brown's work, a kind of supplement to George Edward's A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, was based on specimens in the natural history collections of Marmaduke Tunstall, Thomas Pennant, and others. Pennant himself wrote of the text and supplied many of the drawings belonging to Gideon Loten, the former Dutch governor of Ceylon, a significant contribution that he felt was not properly acknowledged by Brown in the preface of the work. Pennant had previously employed Brown for two of the plates in his British Zoology. A Dane by birth, Brown was also known as a flower painter, exhibiting at the Royal Academy from 1770 to 1791. Additionally, Peter Brown was the court painter to the Prince of Wales. All of the plates in the present volume were hand-colored by Peter Brown. Forty-two of the plates depict birds, five are of mammals, two are of insects and one is an amphibian (modified after description in Sale 5871, H. Bradley Martin, no. 57). See also Zimmer 101; Anker 72; Mengel 388; Fine Bird Books (1990), 82; Wood 264; Nissen IVB 151 and Nissen SVB 73. No ownership marks. Spines of both volumes lightly sunned, some soiling to a few page edges in the proof copy, the fine hand-colored plates are bright and clean and very well-colored, a tight and bright set in identical bindings in near fine condition..

Natural History BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 8176

Catalogue: Fine and Rare