Die Pflanzenthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Farben erleuchtet nebst Beschreibungen. Erster Theil. [Text volume].

Nürnberg, Raspe, 1791. 4to (25.4 x 20.9 cm). Title page, xii, 320 pp. [(iii)-xii Vorbericht; 1-28 Einleitung; 29-60 Erstes Geschlecht der Pflanzenthiere; 61-168 Zweites Geschlecht der Pflanzenthiere; 169-227 Drittes Geschlecht der Pflanzenthiere; 228-258 Viertes Geschlecht der Pflanzenthiere; 259-276 Fünftes Geschlecht der Pflanzenthiere; 277-302 Zusätze; 303-312; Inhaltsverzeichnis; Erklärungen der Tafeln; 313-320 Register]. Contemporary full calf. Spines with five raised bands, gilt compartments and two vellum labels with gilt titles. Gilt text "P.F.Suhm" on front board. Marbled pastedowns. = The first text volume of the magnum opus of Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper (1742-1810), professor at the Königlich Preussischen Friedrichs-Alexanders Universität zu Erlangen and a noted entomologist and botanist. But this work on Cnidaria - in particular stony corals - and sponges (Porifera) is by far the most important that he wrote on his own. Using the Linnaean system he described and illustrated an immense number of corals, as well as some Bryozoa, Echinodermata, a good deal of coralline algae, and some others. Many still bear the names introduced by him. This volume is of particular importance because it contains an outline of the group, as seen by Esper, and the description of the species, of which many were new. The present copy probably belonged to the Danish-Norwegian historian Peter Frederik Suhm (1728-1798), who owned a very large library. Bookplate, "Dupl" of "bibl. reg. Hafn." (i.e. a duplicate of the Royal Library in Copenhagen) on the front pastedown. Some, mostly marginal dampstaining to the top end of the first and last leaves; spine gilt somewhat abraded, otherwise a very good copy. Cat. BM(NH) p. 542; Nissen ZBI, 1315.