Illustrations of Diurnal Lepidoptera. Lycaenidae. Vol. I-II [with Specimen of a Catalogue ... and Supplement]

Description:

First edition. Very scarce. Also bound in at the beginning is, Specimen of a Catalogue of Lycaenidae in the British Museum (1862). The author states in his Preface, 'The Trustees of the British Museum having declined to proceed with my Catalogue of the Lycaenidae, I have thought it best to continue these Illustrations as a separate work, and under a title which is intelligible. I have to regret, now, that a wish to contribute to a national work, as well as to avoid the personal cost attending such a publication, induced me to offer my services to a body of men who, with two or three exceptions, know nothing, and care as little, about Natural History. They have marred the uniformity of a work into which I had entered with all my heart.' Hewitson died in 1878, before the work had been published, and this was carried forward by Henley Grose Smith. In a Postscript he states, '... two unfinished plates, drawn by him on the stone: I am indebted to Mr. Rippon for putting the finishing touches to the stone, and coloring the two specimen plates; while Mr. Kirby has been good enough to attend to the letterpress, which was in manuscript, and to prepare the index for the whole work.'

Fine hand-coloured lithographic plates, with figures drawn by the author and coloured under his supervision by Mr. Standish; printed by M. & N. Hanhart. Plates numbered I-VIII (Catalogue); 1-85, 88-92 (plates 86 & 87 were not published), 3a-c; 1-8, 1a-b, 3a-b, 4a, 5a-b (Supplement). Also bound in at rear are a cancelled title, 4 cancelled text leaves and Instructions to Binder.

Horn-Schenkling 10297; Derksen & Scheiding II p. 312; Nissen ZBI 1931.

Condition

2 vols, 4to, (Text & Plates), 4to, cont. half morocco, rubbed and scuffed to extremities, gilt title to spines and front boards, top edge gilt; some finger soiling to boards, orig. printed part wrappers bound in at rear. Occasional foxing to text and plates (heavier to titlepage and endpapers of plate volume). Very good. Book-plate of William Bree (1822-1917), rector of Allesley and archdeacon of Coventry.