The Natural History of Bees. Containing an Account of their Production, their Oeconomy, the Manner of their making Wax and Honey, and the Best Methods for the Improvement and Preservation of them... Translated from the French
London, J. and P. Knapton, and P. Vailant, 1744 [first edition in English].
Octavo, [xvi], 452, [16] (index) pages plus 12 folding plates.
Full polished calf with the sides gilt-ruled and the spine decorated and ruled in gilt in compartments, with a (later) leather title-label; joints a little cracked but firm; corners bumped; light wear to the extremities, with minor loss to the headband; bottom edge a little inkstained, bleeding very slightly into a few margins; rear flyleaf removed; offsetting to the endpapers, title page, and portions of the blank verso of the last two plates (from the leather turn-ins); minor surface loss to the front pastedown (where an early signature has been erased); top edge of one plate and the leading edge of another slightly proud of the edges of the text-block, and now slightly discoloured and very lightly chipped; trifling signs of use and age; a very good copy.
The nine-page introduction by the unidentified Bazin quotes his sources: 'To what M. de Réaumur has said, in his Memoir concerning Bees, I have added every thing which had relation to that subject, which is found in his other memoirs'. Bazin presents his version in the form of a dialogue: 'I shall content myself with representing Clarissa as the mistress of a family, residing in the country of her own estate ... Eugenio, the other person of the dialogues is the author; and though he borrows almost all his facts from M. de Réaumur, though he often copies his expressions, 'tis still Eugenio, who is accountable for the use he makes of them'. Provenance: Professor Frederic Wood Jones (1879-1954), anatomist, naturalist and anthropologist, with his name-label on the front pastedown.
Item #117770
Price (AUD):
$1,350.00