작품 상세

Insects.- Dejean (Le Comte) and J.A. Boisduval. Iconographie et Histoire Naturelle des Coléoptères d'Europe, 5 vol., first edition, 270 hand-coloured engraved plates, some foxing, Edmund Lamb bookplates, vol.1-4 uniformly bound in contemporary roan-backed boards, spines lettered in gilt, vol.1 covers detached, vol.5 in original printed wrappers in 10 parts, covers soiled and spines worn, vol.5 housed in contemporary chemise with remnants of cloth ties, rubbed, [Nissen ZBI 1062], 8vo, Paris [&] Brussels, 1829-36[-38]. ⁂ "The great name in coleopterology during the early nineteenth century was P.F.M.A. Dejean (1780-1845), with a career quite exceptional among entomologists; a general who rose to the title "pair de France" and served as Napoleon's first aide-de-champ in the battle of Waterloo. Dejean was an ardent collector and eventually in part by purchase, brought together the largest private insect collection of his time. He lost no opportunity to fetch rare specimens, which is amply evident from what was told about his somewhat unmilitary behaviour during raging war (R.F. Smith a.o. History of Entomology, pp.125-6). Dejean added insects to his collection from the fields of Waterloo. His collection numbered 22,399 species in 1837.