Wiesbade[n], C. W. Kreidel; Paris, C. Reinwald, 1868-1872. Two parts (text and atlas) in two. Folio and 4to. Texte (4to, 29.5 x 24.1 cm) title page, xi, half-title to "première partie" (= all published), 442 pp.; Atlas (folio, 29.6 x 24.1 cm): title page, 61 lithographed plates numbered I-LXI. Text part in early 20th-century half morocco over marbled boards; spine with four raised bands, gilt vignettes and title; marbled endpapers, sprinkled edges. Atlas in somewhat later burgundy buckram with gilt title on the spine, marbled endpapers, sprinkled edges.

The fine and extremely rare monograph of the very rich and usually well-preserved Jurassic sea urchins, heart urchins, and sand dollars, being a joint effort of two of the greatest 19th-century echinodermatologists, the Swiss palaeontologist and friend of Alexander Agassiz, Pierre Jean Édouard Desor (1811-1882), and his compatriot, Charles Louis Perceval de Loriol Le Fort (1828-1908) who also became a renowned malacologist. In this work they extensively describe hundreds of species, many figured here for the first time. New species are included as well. This still is the most important publication on this subject. Later, the authors wrote two more monographs, on the Cretaceous and on the Tertiary Echinodermata of Switzerland. The latter is rather rare, whereas the Cretaceous work appears to be rather common, being published in a Swiss palaeontological series. Half-title to the text volume and title page to the atlas age-toned; some scattered foxing to the outer margins of several plates, but the illustrations are printed on different paper, mounted, and totally unaffected. The text pages are mostly very clean too. In all a very good, complete copy. There are no auction records whatsoever in the last 50 years. Cat. BM(NH) p. 447; Nissen ZBI, 1097.