London, J. Sowerby, 1815-1820, 1875. Seven originally hand-coloured lithographed plates. Including the finest and lagest published (35.1 x 49.6 cm, with vertical center fold, as issued). In original printed wrappers.

Fine, beaiutifully coloured plates of last two (concluding) parts, published by Bernard Quaritch after a 55 years gap. From the magnum opus of the British naturalist (chiefly malacologist, ornithologist and crustaceologist) William Elford Leach (1790-1836), who did not live to see his work being completed. His work principally deals with crabs, lobsters and other, mostly larger, stalk-eyed crustaceans. Even in an incomplete state this work is quite rare, as individual plates are much sought-after. Cat. BM(NH) p. 1071; Nissen ZBI, 2404.