British Conchology or an account of the Mollusca which now inhabit the British Isles and the surrounding seas. Vol. I-V

Description:

First edition, scarce with the 102 plates in Vol. V hand coloured, these more usually being found uncoloured. The 40 plain plates (8 in each volume) are never coloured. Plates by G.B. Sowerby.

John Gwyn Jeffreys (1809-1885) was a leading authority on Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean mollusca, and 'had remarkable complete collection of shells from British and adjacent seas.' (Dance, Shell Collecting, p. 217).

Freeman, 1946; Nissen ZBI, 2103.

Condition

5 vols, 12mo, orig. maroon cloth, gt, rubbed/worn with some damage to front board of Vol. IV; Vol. V rebacked, retaining orig. backstrip (worn). Some marginal pencil markings to text. Pencil annotations, with occasional small mark in red ink, to verso of all col plates, referring to figures on facing plates. Some minor marginal foxing to recto of a few of the hand-coloured plates, otherwise clean. One or two plates coming loose. Armorial bookplate and contemporary inscription to endpapers of Vol. I, and book-plate of Edward Alder, Etwall Vicarage, to remaining volumes. A sound set.