“THE PERFECT INSECT APPEARS IN APRIL”: A NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH MOTHS, 1871, WITH 132 HAND-COLORED PLATES

MORRIS, Rev. F. O. A Natural History of British Moths. London: Henry Edward Knox, 1871. Four volumes. Royal octavo, original green gilt- and blind-stamped cloth, uncut and unopened. $1800.

Second edition, with nearly 2000 specimens of moths illustrated on 132 hand-colored plates.

An Anglican rector, Morris is “best known by his works on natural history, which, although ‘popular’ rather than scientific, had much literary value” (DNB). Although the six-volume A History of British Birds (1851-57) is considered his masterwork, Morris also published extensively on insects, including A History of British Butterflies (1853), Catalogue of British Insects in all the Orders (1865) and the present work, first published in 1859-1870. Includes English and scientific names of moths, their geographical distribution, times when they appear and what they eat as caterpillars. Index to genera and species in Volume IV. Without extremely rare dust jackets. Bookseller tickets; bookplates and evidence of bookplate removal.

Scattered foxing to preliminaries and edges. Plates clean and vivid, publisher’s cloth extremely fresh and bright. A near-fine set.