Historiae animalium lib.i. De quadrupedibus viviparis. Opus philosophis, medicis, grammaticis, philologis, poetis, & omnibus rerum linguarumque variarum studiosis, utilissimum simul jucundissimumque futurum.

Folio: [40]-1104-[11] pp. (bookblock loosening at front joint, title restored and underlaid, tear in O6 (no text missing), tear in Hh5 repaired, some wormwork near the gutter in the blank margin at the middle of the work, some dampstaining in the margins, ms. annotations in the margins, ink underlinings in the text).

Later vellum, marbled paper on covers, flat spine.

First edition of the first part (complete as such) of C. Gesner's (1516-1565) "History of the animals", an encyclopedic inventory of renaissance zoology. The Historia animalium is the first modern zoological work that attempts to describe all the animals known, and the first bibliography of natural history writings. Gesner's magnum opus was the most widely read of all natural histories in the Renaissance. Illustrated with an armorial woodcut on title, woodcut initial, 82 woodcuts in-text and a woodcut showing the creation of Eve on the final leaf. The very lively woodcuts were prepared specially for this work and include some fantastical-looking creatures such as the sea monk, sea bishop or ichthyocentaur. Our copy shows a "de sphinge fabulosa" and a "de monocerote".
Ref. Adams G:532. - Nissen (ZBI) 1549. - VD16 G 1723.