POEY Y ALOY, Felipe.

Memorias sobre la historia natural de la isla de Cuba, acompañadas de sumarios latinos y extractos en frances. Havana, imprenta de Barcina, 1851-1858 [=1861]. 2 volumes. 4to. With 53 lithographed plates, 17 printed in colour and finished by hand, some only partially coloured. Contemporary black half morocco.

463; 442, (2 blank) pp. BMC NH, p. 1590; Nissen, ZBI 3210; Palau 229998; Sabin 63673; Wood, p. 522. "One of the classic accounts of animal life in Cuba, by a well-known Spanish naturalist" (Wood), and "obre estimada en comercio" (Palau). Extremely rare work on the zoology of Cuba by Felipe Poey y Aloy (1799-1891). Poey was a famous naturalist who described 85 species of Cuban fish that Cuvier included in his work. The present book has 53 plates, seventeen of which are entirely or partially coloured. They depict mainly fish and snails, but also some mammals, hymenoptera, lepidoptera and anatomical parts. The drawings were made by Poey and some of the lithographing was done by Mialhe, a well-known Cuban lithographer. Hand-written dedication on first endleaf; inner front hinge vol. 1 slightly cracked; plate no. 17 is numbered "20," plate no. 25 is bound in upside down; p. 442 in vol. 2 has a cancel with corrections; some very slight browning. Well preserved copy of this important zoology of Cuba.

• EUR 11,000.00 > other currencies
• ordernr.: S1102

• bookseller: Asher Rare Books (Since 1830) (NETHERLANDS)