Natural History books on South- and Central America

the first flora of French Guiana, profusely illustrated with excellent plates

AUBLET, F. Histoire des Plantes de la Guiane Françoise, rangées suivant la méthode sexuelle, avec plusieurs mémoires sur différens objects intéressans, relatifs à la Culture & au Commerce de la Guiane Françoise ...

Londres/ Paris, P.F. Didot jeune, 1775. 4 volumes (2 text volumes & 2 volumes of plates). 4to (250 x 194mm). pp. (4), 32, 1-621; (3), 622-976, 52, ...

EUR 15,500

Its plates, heightened with gold

AUDEBERT, J.B. & VIEILLOT, L.P. Oiseaux Dorés ou à Reflets Métalliques. Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Colibris, Oiseaux-Mouches, Jacamars et Promerops/ Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Grimpéraux et des Oiseaux de Paradis.

Paris, AN XI- (1800-) 1802. 2 volumes. Small folio (335 x 245mm). With 190 (some folding) colour-printed engraved plates by Audebert, many heighten...

EUR 22,000

perhaps the most renowned and sought-after of all orchid books

BATEMAN, J. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala.

London, J. Richway & Sons. (1837)- 1843. Elephant folio (740 x 525 mm). One-page subscriber's list,addenda and corrigenda slip bound at back, litho...

EUR 75,000

The diary in form of a sketchbook in chronological order of Freiherr Ernst von Bibra's well-known voyage to South America

[BIBRA, ERNST VON.] Zur Südamerikanischen Reise. 1849-1850.

German manuscript, title with motto and 139 illustrated leaves, mostly pencil or brown pen drawings, about 20 with handcolouring, some grey-, brown...

EUR 28,000

one of the most valuable contributions of its kind in all zoological literature

CASTELNAU, F. DE. Animaux nouveaux ou rares recueillis pendant l'expédition dans les parties centrales de l'Amérique du Sud, de Rio de Janeiro à Lima, et de Lima au Para; exécutée par ordre dugouvernement français pendant les années 1843 à 1847 ... GERVAIS, P. Mammifères.

Paris, P. Bertrand, 1855. Large-4to (305 x 235mm). pp. (4), 116, with 20 (12 hand-coloured) lithographed plates. Contemporary half cloth printed bo...

EUR 2,500

The very rare German first edition of Catesby's masterpiece with excellent colouring of the plates

CATESBY, M. Piscium, Serpentum, Insectorum, aliorumque nonnullorum animalium nec non plantarum quarundam imagines quas Marcus Catesby in posteriore parte splendidi illius operis quo Carolinae, Floridae et Bahamensium insularum tradidit historiam naturalem. Eiusque appendice descripsit, additis vero imaginibvs pisium tam nostratium quam aliarum regionum averut vivisque coloribus pictas ediderunt Nicolaus Fridiricus Eisenberger et Georgius Lichtensteger? Die Abbildungen verschiedener Fische, Schlangen, Insecten, einiger andern Thiere und Pflanzen, welche Herr Marcus Catesby im zweyten Theil und im Anhang seines vortreflichen Wercks der natürlichen Historie von Carolina, Florida und den Bahamischen Inseln beschrieben?Hrsg. Von N. Eisenberger und G. Lichtensteger.

Nürnberg, gedruckt bey Joannis Joseph Fleischmann, 1750. Folio (500 x 360mm), with 100 hand-coloured engraved plates. Contemporary calf with elabo...

EUR 110,000

celebrated as the first book on Exotic Butterflies arranged in accordance with the Linnean system and provided with coloured plates

CRAMER, P. & STOLL, C. Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amerique/ De uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-deelen Asia, Africa en America.

Amsterdam, S.J. Baalde/ N.T. Gravius, 1779-1791. 4 volumes & supplement (bound in 5). Large-4to (305 x 235mm). With 3 (2 handcoloured) engraved fro...

EUR 35,000

the most important event in Darwin's intellectual life and in the history of biological science

DARWIN, C. et al. The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836.

London, Smith, Elder & Co., [1838-] 1840-43. 5 parts bound in three volumes. 4to (315 x 245mm), with 166 lithographed plates, a few folding, 82 han...

EUR 175,000

about the colony of Surinam, about diseases of that area and about its plants

FERMIN, P. Histoire Naturelle de la Hollande Equinoxiale: ou description des animaux, plantes, fruits, et autres curiosite's naturelles, qui se trouvent dans la colonie de Surinam; avecleurs noms différents, tant François que Latins, Hollandois, Indiens & Nègre-Anglois.

Amsterdam, M. Magerus, 1765. 8vo (200 x 122mm). pp. xii, 239, (3), with engraved frontispiece and engraved title-vignette. Contemporary calf, gilt ...

EUR 1,500

FISCHER, P. & GOSSE, H. Études sur les Mollusques Terrestres et Fluviatiles du Mexique et du Guatamala.

Paris (1870-) 1902. 4to. Only 28 (of 46) plates of which 22 beautifully handcoloured. Recent blue half calf, richly decorated spine.

EUR 450

a work on the value of American (primarily South American) cultivated plants

GILII, F.L. & XUAREZ, G. Osservazioni fitologiche sopra alcune piante esotiche introdotte in Roma fatte nell'Anno 1788, 1789, 1790.

Roma, Stamperia di Arcangelo/ Stamperia Giunchiana, 1789-1792. 3 volumes, bound in one. 4to (245 x 180mm). pp. 64; (2), viii, 99, (1, blank); (4), ...

EUR 9,500

The work of father Gumilla is one of the most curious and interesting hitherto published upon the country of the Orinoco

GUMILLA. J. El Orinoco ilustrado, y defendido, historia natural, civil, y geographica de este gran rio, y de sus caudalosas vertientes; govierno, usos, y costumbres de los Indios sus habitadores, con nuevas, y utiles noticias de animales, arboles, frutos, aceytes, resinas, yervas, y raices medicinales... Secunda impression, revista, y aumentada por su mismo autor, y dividida en dos partes.

Madrid, Manuel Fernandez, 1745. 2 vols. 4to (220 x 150mm). pp. (48), 403, (5); pp. (8), 412, (16), with 1 large engraved folding map of the Orinoco...

EUR 5,500

HUMBOLDT, A. VON & BONPLAND, A. Beobachtungen aus der Zoologie und vergleichenden Anatomie, gesammelt auf einer Reise nach den Tropen-Ländern des neuen Kontinents, in den Jahren 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803und 1804. Bearbeitet und herausgegeben von dem Erstern.

Tübingen, bey F.C. Cotta/ Paris, bey Levrault, Schoell und Compagnie, 1806. 4to (342 x 250mm). pp. x, 212. Contemporary blue boards (a bit worn).

EUR 1,000

One of the rarest and most splendid publications on South American botany

KARSTEN, H. Florae Columbiae terrarumque adiacentium specimina selecta in peregrinatione duodecim annorum observata delineavit et descripsit.

Berolini, apud Ferdinandi Duemmleri successores, 1858-1869. 2 volumes. Folio (500 x 350 mm.). pp. (6), 200, (2, index); pp. (2), 188, (2, index) wi...

EUR 40,000

KLUG, F. Entomologische Monographieen.

Berlin, G. Reimer, 1824. 8vo (205 x 120mm). pp. xiv, 242, with 10 hand-coloured engraved plates. Later half calf, gilt lettered spine.

EUR 950

He intensively surveyed the flora and fauna of Brazil from Jequitinhonha to Rio de la Plata for six years

SAINT-HILAIRE, A.F. DE. Flora Brasiliae Meridionalis.

Paris, A. Belin, 1824-1833. 24 parts. Large 4to (365 x 280mm). With 193 engraved plates. Publishers printed wrappers, uncut.

EUR 15,000

SCHLECHTER, R. Beiträge zur Orchideenkunde von Zentralamerika. I: Orchidaceae Powellianae Panamenses. II: Additamenta ad Orchideologiam Costaricensem.

Dahlem bei Berlin, Verlag des Repertoriums, 1922-1923. 2 volumes. 8vo. pp. 95; 307. Publisher's printed wrappers.

EUR 250

The publishing history of the present work is probably the most bizarre one in the history of botany

VELLOZO, J. M. da CONCEIÇAO. Florae Fluminensis Icones.

Parisis, ex off. Lithogr. Senefelder, curante F.J. Knecht, 1827. 10 of 11 volumes (lacking volume 3). Large-folio (520 x 345mm). With 1472 (of 1640...

EUR 20,000

only 100 copies were printed

WOOLWARD, F.H. The genus Masdevallia.

Issued by the Marquess of Lothian, K.T., chiefly from plants in his collection of orchids at Newbattle Abbey. With additional notes by F.C. Lehmann...

EUR 11,000