LACEPEDE, Bernard Germain (1756-1825)

Histoire naturelle des Poissons.

Paris, chez Plassan, ans VI-XI de la republique (1798-1803). Duodecimo (170 x 120 mm), 11 volumes, pp. 288, 416, 360, 472, 414, 413, 428, 447, 368, 401, 399 and 116 uncoloured plates. Contemporary light-brown half-calf. Sprinkled boards. Spines with six gilt ruled bands and gilt-lettering. Second compartments with salmon-coloured label, read La Cépède followed by volume number. Third compartments, with dark-blue label, read poissons. All edges yellow. Full-page engravings by the widow Tardieu after the famous painter de Sève, with descriptions of each fish species and many references to Linnean followers like Bloch (1784-1788) and Bonnaterre (1788).

A complete copy of this rare taxonomic work, with beautifully preserved French bindings.

Being a great admirer of the legendary zoologist Buffon, of the famous Histoire Naturelle (1749 -1804), Lacépède contributed substantially to this work by writing the chapters on Quadripèdes ovipares et Serpents (2 volumes), Poissons (5 volumes) and Cétacées (1 volume), (B.M.N.H.,1903). The five volumes on Fishes were printed in quarto (1798-1803). A reissue appeared in eleven volumes in duodecimo (1798-1803) as in the present copy. Nissen, Schöne Fischbücher, 1951, nr. 87.

Price: € 900,00