Tübingen, H. Laupp, 1872. 4to (30.6 x 23.3 cm). 270 pp.; 12 lithographed plates of which three partly tinted, each with an explanatory text leaf. Later gilt-bordered grained half calf over buckram boards. Spine with five raised, gilt-lined bands and gilt title. Marbled endpapers. Marbled edges. Original printed wrappers bound in.

A seldom-seen, in-depth study on German reptiles with fine illustrations by the author, the versatile and influential German zoologist, cell-biologist and comparative anatomist, Franz [von] Leydig (1821-1908). "Chief among Leydig's discoveries is the interstitial cell ('Leydig cells'), a body enclosed in a smooth endoplasmic reticulum and holding lipid granules and crystals, which occur adjacent to the seminiferous tubules of the testes. The cells produce the male hormone testosterone" (Wikipedia). Unmarked except for a tiny stamp, "antiquarisch" ("antiquarian") and a few small, pencilled annotations on the front wrapper, and a few pencilled annotations and underlinings in the text, especially in a few footnotes. Mostly weak dampstain to top outer margin, a bit stronger on the last plate, but strictly marginal only. Some scattered, mostly light foxing, otherwise very good, clean. Adler II, pp. 77-78; Cat. BM(NH) p. 1107 (states 'col.', but this work is only partly tinted, as noted above); Nissen ZBI, 2493.