SPL Hand Coloured Rare Book Collection Featuring Norman R Bobins

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POUCHET, F. A.
The Universe Or the Infinitely Great and Infinitely Little.

A handsome set of 4 volumes of Félix-Archimède Pouchet's history of the natural world, first published in 1870 and printed in various editions throughout the late nineteenth century. Pouchet was a French naturalist and a leading proponent of spontaneous generation of life from non-living materials, and as such an opponent of Pasteur's germ theory. From 1828 he was director of the Rouen Jardin des Plantes. Later, in 1838, he became a professor at the School of Medicine at Rouen.

Published
London: Blackie and Son, 1874.
Plates
8
Binding/Size
M=4to
Value
0-5000
Published
London: Blackie and Son, 1874.
Ref
440

New Edition. 4to. (17 x 25 cm). Hard Covers. Illustrated with numerous uncoloured engravings on wood and eight hand-coloured plates from drawings by A. Faguet Mesnel, Emile Bayard, and J. Stewart. Four volumes in uniform original red cloth binding with extensive gilt and black lettering to boards and spine; professional restoration was undertaken to reinforce spines, boards, hinges, etc. All edges gilt; original yellow endpapers to all volumes. Contents good with a little marginal staining and spotting; a few gatherings out of line. Good copies otherwise. *Rebinding and restoration work on this book was carried out by Ron Norman of Hartlepool. (Ronnorm@aol.com)* Coloured plates in order: Volume 1. 1. Frontis. Nest of Hummingbird attached to a leaf. (1) Ornismya moschita. (2) Ornismya ornata. 2. Metamorphosis of the Peacock Butterfly. Volume 2. 3. Frontis. Hummingbirds among tropical flowers. Selasphorus floressi (1) Male (2) Female / (3) Euphrusa eximia / (4) Heliothrix purpureiceps / (5) Stanhopia ecornuta. 4. Protectors of Agriculture. Hedgehogs and Young. Erinaceus Europaeus. Volume 3. 5. Frontis. Night Flowering Cereus. Cactus Grandiflorus. 6. Orchidaceous Flowers. (1) Salep. Orchis mascula (2) Bee Orchis. Ophrys apifera (3) Venus Slipper. Cyprepedium Calceolus. Volume 4. 7. Frontis. The Great Water-Lily, Victoria Regina. Frequented by Hummingbirds - Chlorosiltbon Portmani & Trochillus amethystina. 8. Submarine Volcano. The island of Santorini, during the eruption of 1866.