Count De La Cepede (3 results)

Hardback. Condition: Very Good-. No Dust Jacket. This copy has been professionally rebound with new endpapers, Vol 1 only. Marbled boards are unmarked though ever so slightly bumped; spine is a little marked from shelving and bumped; binding is tight; pages are age-toned, foxed and stained, particularly the title-page, all edges marbled, some pencilled annotations from previous owners with occasional off-setting. This copy has been nicely rebound and retains original full-page illustrations of tortoises and lizards. ; 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.75 inches; 420 pages. …

Leather. Condition: Very Good. First edition. The first English edition of Lacepede"s influential continuation of Buffon, in four illustrated volumes devoted to reptiles and amphibians, illustrated with forty-seven copper-plate engravings. In uniform half calf bindings with marbled paper boards, rebacked with modern calf. The first English edition and first English translation of Lacepede"s Histoire naturelle des quadrupedes ovipares et des serpens, originally published in French in 1788-1789. The edition was issued with forty-eight copper-engraved plates depicting reptiles and amphibians. This copy contains forty-seven plates, with plate 6 to volume II not bound in. Collated. Translated by Robert Kerr and issued as volumes XIX-XXII of Buffon"s Natural History. A comprehensive four-volume study of reptiles and amphibians, arranged and published from the papers and collections of the Comte de Buffon. Bernard Germain de Lacepede (1756-1825) was a French naturalist, zoologist and politician who continued Buffon"s monumental Histoire naturelle. He later served as a professor at the Museum national d"Histoire naturelle. A substantial early English contribution to herpetology, bringing Lacepede"s influential continuation of Buffon to a wider English readership. In uniform half calf bindings with marbled paper boards, rebacked with modern calf. Externally, generally smart. Light rubbing and bumping to the extremities, with scuffing and surface loss to the marbled paper boards, heavier to the edges and corners. Internally, generally firmly bound. Bindings tight following rebacking, volumes resistant to lying flat. Leaves frequently uncut and unevenly trimmed. Pages generally bright if age-toned, with scattered spotting, soiling and occasional marginal marks, more pronounced to first and final few leaves. Early ownership inscriptions to the heads of the title pages, dated 1823. Tide marking to upper margins of the odd gathering in vols III and IV, frequently to plates. Closed tear to margin and gutter of b4 if vol II, slightly affecting text. Very Good. None Stated (illustrator). book. …

Pp. xliii, 420; xxiv, 345; iv, 383; xii, 282; with 45 of 48 copper-engraved plates of crocodiles, serpents, lizards, turtles, etc. (volume I lacks plate 2 and volume IV lacks plates 1 and 2; these 3 plates were not removed - they were never bound-in by the publisher). Contemporary full green morocco leather, spine with five raised bands, lettered in gilt on dark red morocco labels in two compartments and with elaborate gilt designs in the other four compartments, front and rear leather boards blind-stamped with elaborate diagonal line patterns, set off by gilt panel lines, all outer board edges decorated with gilt patterns, all page edges are marbled to match the marbled endpapers, 8vo. This is the first English translation of the Lacepede's major herpetological opus entitled Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupedes Ovipares et al Serpens originally issued in two large quarto volumes in 1788-1790. This was the first comprehensive world summary of amphibians and reptiles. Even today, it still has useful historical information. Lacepede's work remained very influential until the publication of Dumeril and Bibron Erpetologie Generale in the early 1800s (modified after Adler - Contributions to the History of Herpetology, volume 1). A very attractively-bound and uniform set. Signature of Henry Haffey on first text page of each volume; could be Henry Haffey, Esq., of Bath, formerly of Armagh. No other ownership marks and few signs of use. Some scattered light foxing mostly to the rear (blank) side of some plates, offsetting from some plates to their facing text-pages and offsetting from the text pages to a few plates; a very bright and clean copy in near fine condition.…