[Marsigli, L. F. Comte de]
Osservazioni naturali intorno al mare, ed alla grana detta Kermes. Brieve ristretto del saggio fisico intorno alla storia del mare. Scritta alla regia accademia delle scienze di Parigi. Ora esposto in una lettera al'eccellentiss. signor Cristino Martinelli nobile Veneto.
Venezia, Andrea Poletti, 1711. Large 4to (26.6 x 20.6 cm). Half title, title page, 76 pp.; four hand-coloured engraved plates on three leaves. Contemporary blind soft boards, spine with later cloth strip.
Two papers by Count Marsigli, bound together with a single title, being the first edition of his famous work on the history of the seas, and a treatise on the scale insect causing galls in oak trees from which crimson dye was originally extracted. The first paper deals with red coral, with description and illustration of the living polypes. Marsigli was the first to understand that corals were not plants. The second paper, also finely illustrated, shows the true origin and nature of the crimson dye, giving a detailed description of the coccid genus Kermes (Hemiptera). Both papers are very rare. Small, weak, old stamp on front board and half title, edges slightly frayed, paper repair to lower edge of title page, otherwise a very good and clean copy. Nissen ZBI, 2700.