The Classes and Orders of the Linnaean System of Botany. Illustrated by select specimens of foreign and indigenous plants

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1816 A very good 3 volume set in part contemporary half leather binding with 240 plates of which 237 are hand coloured. Duppa (1770-1831) was draughtsman and writer who authored a wide range of works. The bindings have newer spines with raised bands and author and title labels. The boards are marbled and retain their original corners. The spines have become sunned but are sound; corners and edges with wear and varying degrees of surface loss. The books do not lie completely flat when opened. Internally the endpapers are marbled matching the boards. They have the bookplate of Gloria Rollinson. Contents: Vol 1: black and white frontispiece; title with part of old signature to top; intro pp iii-xxiii; systematical index xxiv-xxvii; text pp 1-196 with 85 hand coloured plates. Vol II: title with old signature to top; text in 3 sections 197-373, 376-379; 381-400 (with blanks inbetween), with 93 hand coloured and 1 black and white plate. Vol III: title with signature to top; text pp 401-579 with 59 hand coloured and 1 black and white plate. Contents are in very good clean condition with bright well-coloured plates. There is some offsetting, and the occasional light mark. Vol I has an old crease to the top of the fep and some marking to bottom page edges visible when the book is closed. Vol II has similar marking to bottom page edges and the final blank is attached to the rear free endpaper. Vol III has some damage to the fep.