Carolum Stephanum, Paris, 1553. Pierre Gourdelle (illustrator). Oblong octavo (117 x 177 mm). pp. (32), 448, with 187 woodcuts, many full page, in the text. Contemporary vellum with original title in ink on spine. Some pages browned, see images. Belon (1517- 1564), was a Renaissance scientist and based his work on true observation, rectifying what Aristotle, Oppianus, Pliny and other classical authors had written. He divided aquatic animals into two divisions, those provided with blood and those without, corresponding to the modern taxa: Vertebrata and Invertebrata. They were classified according to size, differences in the structure of the skeleton, mode of reproduction, number of limbs, body form and on the physical characteristics of the habitat (Pietsch, 1995). There are drawings of 110 species of fish. Nearly all the marine fishes are Mediterranean but there are also species of the Atlantic region obtained from the Paris market. Marine mammals, crabs, lobsters, shellfish, oysters and cockles are depicted as well.

Historiae Animalium liber IIII qui est de Piscium & Aquatilium animantium natura. Cum iconibus singulorum ad vivum expressis. Continentur in hoc volumine, Gulielmi Rondeletii & Petri Belonii Cenomani de aquatilium singulis Scripta. Zürich, Christof Froschauer, 1558. First Edition. Folio (389 x 238 mm), pp. 40, 1297 with printer's device on title page. More than 700 woodcuts in the text (Nissen, 1951).Engraved headpieces. Contemporary German blindstamped pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, roll-tool panels of prophets and Bible scenes, brass clasps and catches. Gessner (1516-1565), in his Historia Animalium, attempted to bring together all that was known about the animal kingdom in his day. The present volume on fish and aquatic animals is a part of his encyclopaedia of plants and animals, the first systematic treatise of the Renaissance.

Romae, 1554. Earliest issue, on colophon last leaf dated October 1557. Folio (412 x 282 mm) pp. 8, 256. A splendid copy of this sumptuous and prestigious work with a distinguished provenance. Engraved allegorical title with architectural border decorated with marine motifs and central medallion portrait of Salviani. Above the title the arms of Marcello Cervini, the later pope Marcellus II, Salviani's patron and benefactor. Eighty one full-page excellent copper engravings, containing 98 figures of fishes and molluscs numbered 1-53 and 55-99. Number 54 was omitted in all issues and does not exist (Nissen, 1951). Woodcut initials with a historical background. Salviani's woodcut device on the last page. The 81 plates show traces of artists' signature marks. Nicolas Beatricetto probably designed the title-page and the fish illustrations were made by Antoine Lafréry. Another theory is that they were drawn by Bernardus Aretinus and engraved by Nicolas Beatricetto. Some of the plates bear contemporary letterpress cancel slips over their captions. We have noticed that these cancel slips are also present in the earliest issue copy of the Bibliotheca Casanatense in Rome. Contemporary ivory vellum with old skilful rebacking of spine. Title hand-written, in Indian ink, on spine. Edges sprinkled in red. Some marginal and modest repairs throughout.