Nürnberg, 1791-1806. In four volumes. 4to (text volumes 24.2 x 19.6 cm; atlases 26.4 x 20.2 cm). Title pages, 857 [of 905] pp. Erster Theil (1791) xii, 320 pp.; Zweiter Theil (1794) 303 pp.; Fortsetzungen. Erster Theil (1797) pp. 1-116; 149-230]; Zwyter Theil pp. 1-24. 397 [of, probably, 445] hand-coloured or tinted engraved plates. Near uniform half calf over marbled boards. Spines with gilt chains and black morocco labels with gilt titles. Edges mottled.

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 he introduced. The present set, in contemporary uniform binding, consists of the first two parts and the first supplement with its index (but without pp. 117-148), as well as a part of the second supplement. The much later (1829-1830), posthumously published Dritten Theil (mostly if not completely written by Frederic Louis Hammer) is not present. Several plates are lacking, as nearly always. It's possible that Nissen erred in listing 445 plates, due to a wrong count, but it's a complicated collation with some unresolved issues. Complete copies must be impossibly rare. In fact, not a single copy has ever been at auction with over 444 plates. Pictorial bookplate of the German chemist and bibliophile Waldemar Schwalbe (1882-1943), dated 1936, on the front pastedowns; otherwise, a fine, clean set. Cat. BM(NH) p. 542; Nissen ZBI, 1315.