London, Smith, Elder and Co., [1838]-1849. Five volumes in five. Large 4to (31.6 x 26.6 cm). Reptilia: (ii [index], 28 [appendix] pp., errata leaf; 78 plates (75 plates hand-coloured, plates 30, 42, and 48 plain as intended); Mammalia: vii pp. (including index); 52 plates (numbered I-XVII, XIX-XXXVI, XXXVIII-LIII, VIIIbis); 48 hand-coloured, four (8bis, 15, 21, 25, plain, as intended); plates 18 and 37 not published - see Mammalia index list); Pisces: [i] p. (index); 31 hand-coloured plates; Aves: [ii] pp.; 114 hand-coloured plates; Invertebratae: [ii], 75 pp.; four hand-coloured plates, making a total of 279 plates (272 hand-coloured) most by and after George H. Ford, and all with descriptive text on unnumbered leaves. Uniform publisher's green blind-stamped cloth with floral pattern on the boards and gilt title on the spines. Brown endpapers.

This is a rarely seen complete copy, in a fine condition, of this magnificent magnum opus of the British naturalist Sir Andrew Smith (1797-1872), regarded as "the father of South African Zoology" (Adler). All parts on vertebrates were written by Smith, with fine plates, nearly all by George Henry Ford (1808-1876). As member of the expedition, he was able to draw each specimen after living or recently dead animals. Included is the often-missing complete invertebrate section to which Smith acted as editor only. The text is by William Sharp Mac'Leay (1792-1865). It consists of four parts, viz. On the Cetoniidae of South Africa (52 pp., one plate); On the brachyurous decapod Crustacea brought from the Cape by Dr. Smith (19 pp., two plates); and On a new species ofCerapterus (four pp., one plate). Provenance: The North Devon Athenaeum, Barnstaple (Rock Trust), with their small stamp "bequethed by H. H. Sharland" (probably the wholesale optician and zoologist Herbert Henry Sharland [d. 1894]), on title page versos and in a few text leaf lower margins. A cancellation letter, written by the Athenaeum's Head Librarian, and directed to Wheldon & Wesley, loosely inserted. Minimal shelf-wear, mainly to spine bottom edges. Invertebrate plates mildly foxed, as usual, otherwise only an occasional small spot, and in all a truly excellent set. Adler I, p. 36; Cat. BM(NH) p. 1942; Crane Library, AC24; Horn-Schenkling, 14355 (for Mac'Leay); Nissen ZBI, 3868; Wood, p. 570.