Insectorum Angliae naturalis historia: illustrata iconibus in centum tabulis aeneis eleganter ad vivum expressis [...].

4to: [3]-100 ff.; 100 pl. (title underl., near the second half some upper margins very sl. soiled).

Later half calf, marbled paper on covers, gilt filleted spine with 5 raised bands, later flyleaves and marbled endpapers. Good, wide-margined copy.

Very rare first Latin edition (1st English ed. 1720) of the first English work on lepidoptera by the naturalist and watercolourist illustrator E. Albin (fl. 1690-1742), known as one of the "great entomological book illustrators of the 18th century" and often quoted by Linnaeus. Illustrated with 100 splendid hand-coloured engr. plates after Albin's drawings by Vander Gucht, Hullet and Terasson showing on each pl. the complete life cycle of one or two butterfly species, along with the host plant. Each plate with accompanying text leaf with annotations by the English clergyman, natural theologian, natural philosopher and scientist W. Derham (1657-1735) on lower half. Each of the plates is dedicated to one of the subscribers of the work. The style of the drawings is clearly influenced by Maria Sibylla Merian.
Ref. Nissen (ZBI) 59. - ESTC T85944.
Prov. Entry erased on title.