Zoophylacii Gronoviani Fasciculus Primus exhibens Animalia Quadrupeda, Amphibia atque Pisces, quae in Museo suo adservat... [Together with:] Zoophylacii Gronoviani FasciculusSecundus exhibens enumerationem Insectorum quae in Museo suo adservat....
Eur 2,500 / USD 2,600
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Lugduni Batavorum, sumptibus auctoris, 1763-1764. 2 parts bound in one. Folio (418 x 264mm). pp. (4), 1-136, (4), with 14 engraved plates of fishes; pp. 137-236, with 3 engraved plates of insects and 1 plate of crustacea. Recent full calf, spine with red gilt lettered label.
Without the third part containing the mollusca and zoophytes. This part was published posthumously in 1781 by F.C. Meuschen and is frequently missing. The work is a descriptive catalogue of the specimens in Gronovius private museum. "It is clear that the work is intended to make a contribution towards an improved systematic arrangement, as is suggested by the word 'Zoophylacium', which may be translated 'System of Nature'. Many new generic names are introduced with careful diagnoses, but the specific diagnoses are descriptive only and the species are indicated by numbers, with bibliographic references to contemporary authors such as Linnaeus, Seba, Poda, etc... The first part of the book, dated 1763, containing the mammals, reptiles, and fishes, is dedicated to Peter Collinson, an Englishman, who was a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, The second part, dated 1764, contains the insects, with the Crustacea included as 'Insecta Aptera'. It fails to show the keen analysis of characters which is so evident in the first part, and I should guess that Gronov was much less interested in insects than he was with mammals and fishes. Nevertheless he had a notable collection, and he needed about 45 pages to describe his Coleoptera and 25 pages for the Lepidoptera "(L.G. Higgens. The 'Zoophylacium...', published in Journ. Soc. Bibl. Nat. Hist. II, 6). Some old marginal annotations in a neat handwriting.
Nissen ZBI, 1727.