London, Gurney & Jackson, 1892. Thick 8vo (23.0 x 15.1 cm). xii, 951 pp. Later burgundy half morocco over marbled boards. Spine with five raised bands and gilt title. Marbled endpapers. Speckled edges.

Written by the prolific British entomologist, folklorist and translator William Forsell Kirby (1844-1912). As a folklorist, Kirby influenced J. R. R. Tolkien. This rarely-seen work took 20 years to complete. It is of great taxonomic importance. A one-page Gurney & Jackson advert notes: "Containing the full synonymy of every species described up to May 1892". It was sold at a hefty sum of £2 2s. Provenance: an old private owner's stamp, "Dr. Laubenheimer", on a yellow endpaper - probably the German industrialist and amateur entomologist August Laubenheimer (1848-1904). Several neat, red underlinings and marginalia in a small hand, perhaps by Laubenheimer. Slight wear to spine cover; otherwise very good. Cat. BM(NH) p. 984; Horn-Schenkling II(2), p. 484.