Les époques géologiques de l'Auvergne. Avec 170 planches ou figures, dont plusieurs coloriées et des autographes de Dolomieu, d'Hauy & de De Saussure et un dessin fac simile de Madame Necker de Saussure. I-V. [Complete].

Paris, Baillière et fils, 1867. Five volumes in five. Large 8vo (23.7 x 15.2 cm). 2,758 pp.; 180 engraved and lithographed (tinted, or chromolithographed) plates [1-141, 143-169, 41(bis), 57(bis), 89bis, 107(bis), 149bis, 152bis, 163bis, 163ter, 165bis, 165ter, 165quater, 165quinter], on 107 sheets (several double-sized). Uniform burgundy half morocco over marbled boards. Spines with five raised bands, gilt title. Marbled endpapers. Speckled edges. The most important geological work by the French botanist (mentioned by Charles Darwin in his preface to On the Origin of Species) and geologist Henri Lecoq (1802-1871). The fine illustrations of geological features and views in the Massif Central of Southern France, with its many volcanoes, are by Lecoq himself. Included are three facsimile letters of the geologists Dolomieu, Haüy, and De Saussure. Because there are several bis-plates, and many plates are grouped on single sheets, the true number of different plates is ten more than the 170 mentioned on the title pages, but the actual number of sheets is lower. Plate 142 was not published. Plates 92 and 151 appear in two different states of colour (not counted as extras). Signed dedication by Lecoq to Monsieur Alluard/professeur à la faculté/hommage de l'auteur on the half title of volume I. In the mid-19th century a Mr Alluaud was director of the Puy-de-Dome observatory. A few pages and plates with a circular water-stain (some, apparently, from before binding), a few pages lightly spotted, but in general a very good, clean set with all the published plates. Cat. BM(NH), p. 1076; Ward and Carozzi, 1350.