Beschreibung:

COLOR PLATE-INSECTS] DONOVAN, E.[DWARD]. The natural history of British insects; explaining them in their several states, with... . London: printed for the author, and for F. and C. Rivington, 1802-1793-1813. First editions, except for the first volume. Sixteen volumes, in an attractive binding of half mottled calf with marbled sides, with vellum fore-edges to the boards (a unusual and attractive feature), edges speckled blue (volumes 11-16 with a slightly different shade of marble, but all volumes apparently bound nearly contemporaneous with publication). 8 7/8 x 5 1/2 inches (22.5 x 14 cm); with 576 very fine engraved plates protected by tissues, all (excepting eight plates of microorganisms, which are plain) hand-colored with great care and heightened with gum arabic; with titles, text, indices, errata etc. Spines a little rubbed and dry, but a sound and attractive set; within a few pencil notations, internally fresh, though there is an unobtrusive repaired tear to a text leaf in volume 9; and plate 43, though now conjoined, seems to have been at one point neatly divided. There is some minor worming to volume 9, affecting the lower margin of a number of plates with two small holes. The first volume has the ownership notation of John Walrond Dickinson, dated 1833, presumably the proprietor of Knightshayes Court in Tiverton, Devon. Donovan was the founder of The London Museum and Institute of Natural History, built to house his vast collection of natural history specimens. He was responsible for numerous fine works on insects, fishes, shells etc., but late in life he suffered financial reverses that necessitated the sale of his Museum, and ultimately led to his financial destitution. Nissen ZBI 1142; BM N.H. p. 473. (8) C