Search Results: Freshwater and Marine Life, including fish and fishing from E C Books

Calcutta: Printed by Order of the Trustees of the Indian Museum , 1902 First english edition - translated from the german by Robert Von Lendenfeld. Complete with 23 full page black and white plates. It looks to have been rebound in a good cloth binding fairly recently: the binding is in excellent condition with gilt titles to spine. Internally the endpapers are new. There is a small ink signature to the top of the title page but the contents are otherwise unmarked. There is a little brown spotting to title page and second 'note' page, but the remainder of the text and plates are clean and in very good condition. 113 pages plus plates (each with protective guard). An extremely scarce work.

London : J Johnson , 1806 A very good copy of Vol III of this scarce work by William Holloway, in full leather binding with contemporary blind stamped boards and newer spine. The British Museum .. was issued in 4 volumes and this volume is complete in itself, and covers fish and insects. It contains a colour frontispiece and 22 further hand coloured plates of fish, and 10 hand coloured plates of insects. It lacks the engraved title page and, according to the copy held by Harvard University, lacks the plate of a swallow tail. We have not been able to find consistent collations of this work. The binding is in very good clean condition with light wear and scuffing to the boards. There is an armorial bookplate with the name Haughton and the motto 'maigre le fort' to the front pastedown. There is the signature of James Haughton dated 1810 to the title, together with a part signature - Heard - dated 1884. Contents: frontispiece, title, contents list pp vi; fish - text 1-143 with 22 plates; insects… Read More

London: Whittaker and Co, 1834 A good copy of the 10th volume in the Griffith edition of 'The Animal Kingdom arranged in conformity with its Organization by the Baron Cuvier', which is complete in itself. The Griffith edition has particularly fine detailed plates which are black and white in most copies, and occasionally in colour. This copy has 64 black and white plates. The page format is unusually large - 25.9cm x 20 cm. It has been rebound at some point in maroon buckram cloth with gilt titles and the name Foyle to the spine. There is some darker marking to the spine; some rubbing to edges and joints and the corner wear. The rebinding has unfortunately attached the series title page to the front endpaper at the gutter and has done the same with the rear endpaper and the final leaf. The stitching is visible two leaves in at the front and one leaf back at the rear. However, the binding is sound and clean. Contents are very clean with occasional light marking, mainly to top margins and some… Read More

London : Printed for the Author at the Dove, 1787 A good copy of an extremely scarce work in contemporary half leather binding with folding map of Orkney and Shetland. The binding has been rebacked supplying a new spine with gilt titles and blind ruled compartments. The boards have the original leather and are marbled. The binding is in very good condition with general wear to edges and corners. The original endpapers look to be retained. Contents: initial blank, title, introduction pp vii; fold out map; text pp 1-101; half title - considerations on the fisheries; text pp 3-88 finis; list of subscribers 6pp; final blank. A piece has been cut from the top edge of the title and the first page of the introduction - which also has an inscription: Francis Taylor's book 1834. The title has also lost the corner tip. The map has loss to the left margin, but this does not affect the Orkney and Shetland Isles, and some edge tears to the bottom folds. It has been reinforced. There is a mispagination - 42-47,… Read More

LONDON : John and Arthur Arch, 1815 A good copy of the 1st edition of this extremely rare work, with 11 plates, 9 of which are hand coloured. Brookes set out to write for those who wanted to understand Conchology, but who might not have a grounding in natural history. He took care to use english rather than latin names where possible, and to give readers a clear framework for their study. This copy is in a later speckled calf binding with gilt lining and blind stamped decoration to the board edges. The spine has raised bands with gilt lining and gilt stamped decoration. There is a leather title. It is in near fine condition. Page edges are marbled. There is an inked owners name to a preliminary - J Reid Moir. 3rd November 1919 - possibly the Reid Moir who authored 'Antiquity of Man in East Anglia'. The title page has browning and some spotting and an ink mark. The text pages vary between very clean and bright (the majority) to occasional foxing and spotting, to quite heavy foxing in the… Read More

LONDON : John Van Voorst, 1856 A VG copy of the first edition in the original blind stamped decorative cloth binding with gilt titles to spine. With colour printed fold out frontispiece, 5 further colour plates and one plain plate as called for. The Revd Tugwell unashamedly addressed this work to 'the amateur rambler about our English coasts' and provides an account in plain language for the rambler to follow. The result is a charming example of victorian natural history - written to encourage the reader to understand nature better. With a listing of locations at the rear. The binding and the original endpapers are in very good clean condition with only a very slight marking to the top of the boards. The contents are also very clean and bright. The reverse of the plates have shadows of the plate images but there is little offsetting to the text. Small light book, please enquire if you would like us to assess postage at cost.

Edinburgh and New York: T Nelson and Sons, 1887 A very good copy in the original decorative cloth binding with black and white frontispiece, vignette title and 14 further black and white illustrations as called for. A scarce title with some stunning illustrations. The green cloth binding is clean and bright with some pulling to the spine ends with slight cloth fray. All the corners have a degree of turning and slight cloth loss and the top corner of the back board is bumped. There are a few very small paler marks at the board edges. Internally the decorative endpapers are present. There are 2 sprawly signatures (Howard IV and David Howard) to the verso of the fep. Contents are complete and very clean with a 6 page publisher's list at the rear. There is the odd small spot or mark and the top margin of the plate at p 36 has a repaired edge tear. Please enquire if you would like to see additional images.

London : Rivington and Co, 1799 A fair copy of Edward Donovan's work on British Shells, in contemporary half morocco bindings with 180 hand coloured plates. Donovan is justly famed for his accurately observed and delicate illustrations of wildlife - mainly birds, insects, fish and shells. He took advantage of the large numbers of specimens being brought back to museums and private collections from voyages and expeditions. British Shells was issued in parts between 1799 and 1803 and subscribers would have been able to bind their copies as they chose. Donovan's works had limited distribution because of their expense, and have become scarcer as many sets have been broken up for their plates. This set is half morocco, with gilt lines to the spine and gilt titles, volume numbers and dates, and has marbled boards. The page edges have been minimally trimmed. The bindings are worn but sound - so the morocco is losing its surface on the spine joints and corners and there is general edge wear. The… Read More

Edinburgh : W H Lizars, S Highley et al, 1839 A good copy of the 1st edition in original publisher's cloth binding with 31 plates, of which 28 are hand coloured. This is Volume VIII of Jardine's Naturalist's Library, Mammalia. Contents: Vol listing for Naturalist's Library; half title; engraved frontispiece of Peron with tissue guard; vignette title page showing a boat beset by walruses; 2 further title pages; advertisement for the series; contents pages; Memoir of Peron; introduction; text including numerous engravings and 31 plates bound at the rear. The plates are numbered to 30, but there are 2 versions of plate 7. The illustrator's imagination can be seen running riot with the sea monsters pictured on plates 28 and 29. The binding has been rebacked, relaying the original spine, and is clean, sound and bright. There is light fading to edges and the bottom corner of the back board has a small bump. Original green endpapers present with repair and some associated marking at the joints. The contents… Read More

Edinburgh: W H Lizars , 1842 A good copy of the 1st edition of VolsI & II of the Natural History of British Fishes in the original publisher's brown cloth binding with 68 hand coloured plates. Part of Jardine's Naturalist's Library but complete in themselves. Both volumes have been rebacked: relaying the original spines with gilt titles, and retaining the original green endpapers. Both bindings are clean, tight and sound with slight fading to board edges. Vol I, 1842, with volume listing; black and white frontispiece portrait of Rondelius; vignette title page; 2 further title pages; advertisement; contents listing; Memoir of Rondelet; text and 34 plates bound at the rear. 313pp. The text pages are largely unopened. There is some brown spotting to text and some pages are brown toned. The plates are brightly and well coloured. There is some toning to plate page edges and the tissue guards have offsetting and spotting. Vol II, 1843, with black and white frontispiece portrait of Humboldt;… Read More

EDINBURGH: W H Lizars, S Highley et al, 1840 A very good copy of the 1st edition in the original publisher's cloth binding. With volume listing; half title; engraved black and white frontispiece portrait of Salvianus; vignette title page with black and white illustration of seabirds and a sea monster; 2 further title pages; advertisement; contents listing; Memoir of Hippolito Salviani; text including numerous black and white illustrations; 32 hand coloured plates bound at the rear; and a 4 page publisher's catalogue. The original cloth binding has been rebacked relaying the original spine and is sound and tight. It is very clean with bright gilt titles to the spine. There is a slightly faded area towards the edge of the front board. Corners have light wear. There is a slight indentation to the bottom edge of back board close to the spine. The original green endpapers are present with professional repair at the joints. The contents are very clean with light toning towards page edges. Top corner of… Read More

EDINBURGH: W H LIZARS, 1837 A good copy in contemporary half leather binding with 30 plates of which 28 are hand coloured. With armorial bookplate of Sidney Wentworth of Longstowe Hall to the front pastedown endpaper and signature of A Shafto Barthropp (a member of the same family) to the fep. Contents: series half title; frontispiece portrait of Lacepede with tissue guard; vignette title page with hand coloured picture of narwhal; 2 further title pages; advertisement; contents listing; Memoir of M. Le Comte de Lacepede; text with engravings and 30 plates with tissue guards at the rear. Although the plate index has plates numbered to 29, there are two versions of plate 4 - one numbered IV. The binding is clean and sound with small gilted raised bands to spine, 2 compartments for title and volume labels (now missing) and 3 compartments with textured leather. The boards are a heavy duty cloth which has some fading to edges. There is light scuffing to spine joints and the top corners are turned inwards… Read More

London: Sampson Low, Son, and Co.,, 1857 A very good copy in the original green decorative cloth binding with 20 fine hand coloured plates. Aeg. The binding has a gilt design, gilt titles and blind stamping to the front board, gilt design and titles to the spine and blind stamping to the back board. It has been rebacked and is sound and tight with wear to corners and a slightly dulled spine. There is some marking to the front board but overall the binding is sound and clean. New endpapers matching the original. This is the first publication of the combined volume - Ocean Gardens is a 2nd edition - enlarged and corrected by the author, and River Gardens is a 1st. Contents: hand coloured frontispiece with guard; title (old signature at the top); contents list 2pp; plate list; text pp 1-117 with 11 further hand coloured plates; frontispiece to River Gardens with guard; title; contents 2 pp; plate list; text pp 1-108 with 7 further hand coloured plates. With 4pp publisher's catalogue at the rear. The… Read More

London : Lovell Reeve, 1854 A good copy with 20 hand coloured illustrations drawn by Sowerby and printed by Vincent Brooks. In the original decorative cloth binding with a gilt mollusk on the front board. This book forms part of Lovell Reeve's Popular Natural History series, designed for young people with aim of giving them an insight into the natural world. The decorative cloth bindings are very distinctive as is the good quality of the illustrations - with many of the volumes having hand coloured plates. This copy has been expertly rebacked to preserve the original spine and endpapers. It is therefore sound and tight. The front board has a couple of small indentations to the edges and a bumped top corner. The spine is dulled. The endpapers have slight marking. Contents: publisher's catalogue; half title; frontispiece; title page; preface; list of plates; text with 19 further plates; index. The paper has brown toning, particularly to edges and there is slight folding evident to the top page… Read More

London : Lovell Reeve, 1857 A very good copy in the original decorative cloth binding with 20 hand coloured plates by G B Sowerby. This volume is part of Lovell Reeve's Popular Natural History series designed for young people and those starting out to study the natural world. The binding has gilt decoration and titles to the spine and a gilt crab design to the front board, with blind stamped decoration to both boards. Internally a list of Reeve's publications has been inserted before the front endpaper. With half title, frontispiece, title page, text with 19 further plates, and publisher's advert at the rear. The cloth binding has been rebacked, relaying the original spine, so it is sound and tight. The cloth has some fading particularly to the spine but is clean with a bright gilt crab. There is an armorial bookplate of James Cowan to the front pastedown which is a little grubby.The contents are in very good clean condition. The rear endpaper has a slight fold. Light toning to page edges.… Read More

London : Taylor and Francis for the Linnean Society, and Longmans, Green, and Co.,, 1894 A good copy of Part 2 of Vol 6 of the second series of Transactions of the Linnean Society, Zoology, in the original paper wrap with 8 b/w plates. This part only contains Chilton's work on New Zealand crustacea. The wrap has lost its back; the front section is a little frayed and grubby; spine frayed. Contents very clean and bright with some pages unopened. Pages 163-284 of the Transactions.

Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo: Springer-Verlag, 1987 Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Taxonomy of Porifera from the N E Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, held at Marseille in September 1986. VG copy in original hardback binding. Binding with some bumping to top corners but otherwise very clean and bright. Contents VG to near fine.

LONDON : John van Voorst, 1856 A classic work on the natural history of the sea shore. It gives a detailed record of a summer holiday that Gosse spent in Tenby studying the shoreline and the wide variety of species that he found. it has 24 partly coloured plates of sea creatures - some microscopic. It is in the original green decorative cloth binding which has had a cloth case repair. It has a new green cloth spine to match with leather label and gilt titles. The contents are tight and in generally good condition with some brown spotting. A previous owner has written the magnification (x110) in ink at the bottom of one of the plates.

LONDON : John van Voorst, 1856 A good copy of this classic work on the natural history of the sea shore, in original green decorative cloth binding with 24 plates, of which 20 are partly coloured. Contains a detailed record of a summer holiday that Gosse spent in Tenby studying the shoreline and the wide variety of species that he found. The binding, with blind stamped decoration to both boards, is clean and bright, but with wear. There is pulling to the top and bottom of the spine, and some cloth wear at the front spine joint. The corners are bumped. The original endpapers are present , with slight damage at the front endpaper joint. There is an ink signature to the top of the half title page. With frontispiece (image partly showing through to the back of the paper); tissue guard; title page; preface; contents; plate list; text and index 400pp; advert for Marine Natural HIstory Class; advert for forthcoming publication of Sea Anemones; 4 further pages of adverts. Contents very clean. Small ink note… Read More

Edinburgh, London: A Constable and Company, and John Murray, 1806 A very good copy of Patrick Neill's description of his tour in Orkney and Shetland in probably contemporary half leather binding. Patrick Neill (1776-1851) was a printer who became particularly known for his 'interests' in botany and horticulture. He was a founding Member and first Secretary of the Wernerian Natural History Society. He visited Orkney and Shetland in 1804/5 and his account was initially published in parts through The Scots Magazine. He was appalled by the miserable conditions experienced by ordinary people on the islands and he started a lively debate on the issue. In the preface of the whole work, published 1806, he states 'it was almost impossible not to take some notice of the state of the inhabitants of the islands. The freedom of my remarks however, on the unfortunate condition of the common people in Shetland, has brought upon me the censure of some of the landholders, which they have, very unnecessarily vented in… Read More