Roma, Salviucci, 1874-1875. Tall 4to (27.2 x 19.2 cm). [ii], 144 pp. Albumen portrait, mounted. Patterned half-linen over marbled boards. Spine with gilt title.

A unique copy of a rarely seen work, containing a 127-page list of 9,366 different species of molluscs, and a few other invertebrates, present in the collection of the Italian malacologist and palaeontologist Giovanni Rigacci (1816-1871); followed by an alphabetical index of genus names, with their authors. In this copy, however, this is followed by a ten page neatly handwritten list of additional shells, received in April 1875. The lists are preceded by some information on Giovanni, written by his brothers Giuseppe (1812-1880) and Enrico (d. 1881), and followed by a detailed obituary (half-title, pp. 131-143), by Vincenzo Conti, dated 1871. Giovanni's library and a large part of his collection were donated to the zoological museum of Rome (Fiorito, p. 245). Boards a bit rubbed at edges, the albumen print a little sunned, a weak stain to the rear endpaper and pastedown, otherwise very good. A unique item. Fiorito, V. (2012) Saro Zagari, Giuseppe Prinzi e la scultura in Sicilia dal neoclassicismo al realismo.