Plata

1858 — 12mo [19 x 13.5 cm]; xii, 288, [iii, ads including one for author's earlier book] pp, 8 fine hand colored engraved plates including frontis, engraved headpieces for each chapter, with the half title page. original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and on cover in decorative gilt border, all edges gilted, cover rubbed and expertly re-set in binding, interior clean and near fine in very good cover, sound and tight binding. A picture of this book is availa Freeman 1836. An attractively produced book by author of other high-class natural history books, one being an early work on aquariums done at the beginning of the aquarium craze in Victorian England. The work translates the aquarium, a habitat for fish and other marine animals, to one of insects where the enthusiastic nature lover could collect various insects and watch them grow and reproduce in the comfort of their own home. The plates, including many of butterflies, beetles, etc, are beautifully done, the frontis being one of the vivarium itself, an ornate sort of aquarium with plants, water, butterflies, etc that could have been found in a typical parlor of the time.