Description d'un receuil [sic] exquis d'animaux rares, consistant en quadrupedes, oiseaux et serpents, des Indes orientales, et occidentales [...]. Avec figures desinées et enluminées d'après nature.

33 parts in 1 vol., 4to; engr. title and 35 pl. (marg. dampst. on text ff. of the 1st, 11th and 17th part, very few spots rarely affecting pl.).

Contemp. half sheep, marbled paper boards, titled flat spine (rubbed). Partly unopened copy.

First French edition of this work published in 33 separate parts between 1766 and 1804, featuring 33 species of birds, mammals and reptiles. Our copy contains 33 parts and a hand-coloured engr. title "Regnum Animale" and 35 full-page hand-coloured engraved plates by S. Flokke after A. Schouman, van Kuik, van den Heurel, Haag showing a "porc à large groin", "petit bouc damoiseau", "marmote-bâtarde d'Afrique", "ecureuil volant à longue queue", "serpent à sonnette de l'Amerique", "singe d'Amerique à longue queue", "paresseux pentadactyle", "singe voltigeur americain", "chat africain", "une espece toute nouvelle et inconnu de belette americaine, a longue queue, et griffes d'ecureuil, nommée Potto", "boeuf bossu d'Amerique nommé bison", "l'ichneumon indien qui tuë le crocodile". The aim was to introduce rare and exotic species to the European public. Many of the animals in this work are depicted for the first time. As there is the noteworthy description of the red-faced spider monkey, the rattlesnake and the East-Indian "crocodile-killer" etc. Each species with separate title, description and colour plate(s).
Ref. Nissen, ZBI, 4293. - Casey A. Wood p. 615. - Sabin 100783. - Landwehr (Dutch colour plates) 204. - STCN.