With 132 engraved plates of fishes and whales

Etienne de Lacepedé:

Histoire naturelle des poissons. 1-5. [Together with:] Histoire naturelle des cétacées.

Paris, chez Plassan, 1798-1803. 4to. (21,8 x 19,5 cms.) [4] + 8 + CXLVIII + 532; + [4] + LXIV + 632; + [4] + 16 + LXVI + 558; + XLIV + 728; + LXVIII + 804 pp. + large folding table + 116 engraved plates.

Paris, chez Plassan, 1804. 4to. (21,68 x 19,5 cms.) XLIV + 330 pp. + 16 engraved plates.

Six volumes, spines labelled ”Histoire Nat. des Poissons”, 1-6. Worn contemporary full calf, weak joints, front cover of first volume entirely loose. Text and plates fine, a few neat contemporary repairs of marginal and corner paper defects, some occasional slight foxing, i.a. to first few leaves of each volume, a few leaves in vol. 4 (pp. 488-96) darkened. Engraved bookplate: Robert Heron.

First edition. Étienne de La Ville-sur-Illon, count de Lacépède (1756-1825) contributed to Buffon’s ”Histoire naturelle” with i.a. the present 5 + 1 volumes on fishes and whales.

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