Author: Lacépède, B. G. É. De
Title: Histoire naturelle des quadrupèdes ovipares et des serpens.
Description: Paris, Hôtel de Thou, 1788-1790. Four parts in four. 12mo (16.6 x 9.6 cm). 1,699 pp. [I (1788) 359; II (1788) 464; III (1790) 24, 432; IV (1790) 8, 408 pp.]; 48 [of 49] nicely engraved plates [I: 12; II: 15, III: 11, IV: 10] depicting amphibians and reptiles in their natural surroundings. Contemporary uniform full calf. Spines with gilt vignettes, borders and two red morocco labels each, boards with ornamental gilt borders. Marbled endpapers. = This is the smaller sized edition that was published in the same years as the first edition in quarto, published as Suite de Buffon. The last 12 pp. of volume IV contain an "Éloge du comte Buffon". The last two volumes (half the work) deal with snakes. Nissen reports 49 plates with a query. Two other, contemporary editions have 48 plates, as does this one. There is, however, no plate V in Volume IV. A nice, clean set in attractive contemporary bindings. Nissen ZBI, 2350a, 2350b.

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