Author: LYONET, P.- Entomology.- WILGENHOUTRUPS.-
Title: Traité anatomique de la chenille qui ronge le Bois de Saule, [...] Avocat par Devant les Cours de Justice, Interprête, Maître des Patentes, Et Dechiffreur de leurs Hautes Puissances ... Aux depends de l'Auteur. [Op kosten van de auteur].
Description: La Haye, Amsterdam, Londres, Pierre de Hondt, Marc Michel Rey, Th. Becket & P.A. De Hondt, 1760. In thick 4to. [21 x 25.5 cm x 5.5 cm ]. W. printed title in red and black, small floral woodc. vignet on printed title, one large engr. head- piece, a number of woodc. tailpieces, at the end 18 etched fold. pls. [signed lower left in a signature like fashion 'PLyonet'] in superb and fresh impressions, w. unbelievable detail in the printing. Contemp. half medium brown clf., over speckled marbled brds, spine in 6 compartments, w. original light titleshield, gilt decorated border & giltlettered 'LYONET'. Top and bottom of spine/ caps dam. / some imperf, lower edges of covers rubb., corners bumped and 3 of 4 corners dam., core showing, easily restored.). [* - 3*4, A - Z4, Aa - Zz4, Aaa - Zzz4, Aaaa - Dddd4, Eeee3]. (XXIV, 587, III (Index) pp.). (only quire Sss a little yellowed, else excellent paper quality). (Ex Bibliotheca Willem H. van Seters, see note, with his bookplate on upper paste down.). (Van Seter's ann. in pencil on upper paste down noting the date of purchase and price paid: 'F30,- Sept. 1931; upper free endp. owner's inscr. in ink: 'Koechlin MD'). (Copy on extra quality paper.). (All edges speckled red.). Rare first edition, w. very early impressions of the etched plates and on extra quality paper. Only 1 copy in STCN KB [GW A 105885): DSB VIII, pp. 579/80: 'Lyonet, like Bonnet, first became interested in the study of insects through reading Pluche's Natural History, but he was inspired to study them seriously by the first volume (on "Chenilles et papillons") of Réaumur's 'Memoires', which appeared in 1734. Réaumur's influence on Lyonet was decisive, ... Lyonet, who had respect for few naturalists, praised only Swammerdam and Réaumur. From [him] he learned method and the importance of being exceedingly careful. Lyonet began systematic observation on insects in 1736. In 1738 he undertook to correct and expand a translation of F.C.Lesser's Insectotheologica. Lyonet's annotations of the translation indicate that he was familiar with the subject and that his ideas on the general biological problems of his time were already formed; ideas on classification and generation found in the notes to Lesser also appear in the Traité anatomique of 1760 and in the posthumously published Recherches. .... The 'Traité' was begun in 1745. Lyonet had originally planned a treatise on all the insects in the vicinity of The Hague ...[but] decided to establish his own reputation in micro-anatomy. He examined the common goat moth caterpillar (Cossus ligniperda) and the anatomy of its chrysalis and imago. ... The Traité Anatomique is devoted wholly to the anatomy of the caterpillar.. and the plates, drawn and engraved by Lyonet, portray the muscles, nerves, bronchia, heart, viscera, silk vessels, and the internal parts of the head with astonishing precision. ... : the Traité anatomique is a triumph of the eye. ... He believed first, that the world and all its creatures are a vast cipher and, second, that the duty of man is to decode it.' [Lyonet was, a fact unknown to many, quite an important cryptologist and translator for the States-General, responsible for the decription of diplomatic post of Prussian representatives in the Hague, a task that took him 18 months. [see also: K. de Leeuw, 'Cryptology and statecraft in the Dutch Republisc (Amst., 2000)]: Lyonet mastered 8 languages and called himself 'secretaris der cijfers van de staten-generaal']; : Nissen Zool. Buchill., item 2618: G&M item 305 'Lyonet's great monograph on the goat moth caterpillar remains today among the greatest examples of anatomical examination.': Eales, Cole libr. of medicine, item 1714 [reissue 1762] : Cole, Hist. of comparative anatomy, pp. 256, 310 'The modern morphologist, armed with highly efficient binocular microscopes, would be severely taxed to excel, or even to repeat, Swammerdam's dissections of the body louse, Leeuwenhoek's analysis of commercial cochineal, and Lyonet's beautiful preparations of the larva of the goat moth.': W.H. van Seters, Pierre Lyonet (1706 - 1789) sa vie, ses collections de coquillages et de tableaux, ses recherches entomologiques, [Den Haag, Nijhoff, 1962]: Smit, Hist. of Life Sciences, c. 979-980: Clay & Court, The History of the microscope [London, 1932], pp. ....: Cole, Early Theories of sexual generation [Oxford, 1930], pp. ....: Miall, The Early Naturalists, Their Lives and Work (1530 - 1789) [London, 1912]...: Emile Hublard, 'le naturaliste hollandais Pierre Lyonet, sa vie et ses oeuvres 1706 - 1789, in "Memoires et publications de la Soc. des sciences, ...du Hainaut (vol. 61, 1910), pp. 1 - 159: Pieter Lyonet was a keen observer and draughtsman, illustrating anatomical works such as Lesser's 'Insecto-Theologia' [1742] and Abraham Trembley's 'Mémoires pour servir ... polypes d'eau douce [1744] and his own 'Traité ... de la chenille..' [1760, reissue 1762] here offered. This copy from the estate of W.H. van Seters, biologist, member of the Leeuwenhoek committee and author of the authoritatvie biography on Lyonet published in 1962.

Keywords: biology behandelen dissection W67 science