Beschreibung:

PERRAULT, Claude (1613-1688).] Memoires pour servir l'histoire naturelle des animaux . – Mesure de la terre . – Suite des mémoires pour servir l'histoire naturelle des animau x. Paris: Sébastien Mabre-Cramoisy for the Imprimerie Royale, 1671-76. The first edition of "one of the most sumptuously produced of all early biological works" (Garrison-Morton and one of the first publications of the Académie Royale des Sciences. This important text contains descriptions of twenty-nine species, most covered in the earlier publications of a team of comparative anatomists headed by Perrault and including Duverney, Pecquet, Moyse Charas and Philippe de la Hire referred to as the "Parisians" in contemporary scientific literature because of their membership in the Academie Royale des Sciences. "Among the new species described are the lynx, the porcupine, the eagle, the cormorant and the ostrich" (Norman). The present copy includes the Mesure de la terre with five plates, not found in all copies. Eales I, 673 (also with the arms of Louis XIV); Garrison-Morton 29; Nissen ZBI 3123-3124; Norman 1687. Two volumes, large folio (556 x 396mm). Engraved frontispiece by Goyton after Sebastien Le Clerc, engraved title-vignettes incorporating the royal arms of Louis XIV, numerous engraved head- and tail-pieces by Le Clerc, together 34 engraved plates and one half-page engraved illustration (lacking vol. 2 frontispiece, some minor dust soiling and spotting, intermittent browning). Contemporary French red morocco, presentation binding with gilt arms of Louis XIV (Olivier 2494 fer 7) on sides, framed by a wide floral gilt border, spine in eight compartments with seven raised bands, gilt-lettered in one compartment, a repeated gilt panel in the rest, board edges and turn-ins gilt, edges gilt (some stains and minor abrasions on sides, a few repairs). Provenance : apparently bound for Louis XIV, the king being the patron of the Academie Royale des Sciences (binding).