Paris, Hôtel de Thou, 1788-1789. Two parts in two. 4to (25.3 x 19.3 cm). Title pages with allegorical engraved vignettes, numerous engraved head and tail pieces. 1216 pp. [5-18, 651; 5-8, 20 (including eulogy of Buffon), 527]; 63 engraved plates [41; 22] large, multi-folded table. Uniform contemporary full tree calf. Spines with five raised bands, rich gilt compartments with floral vignettes, two morocco labels with gilt titles. Marbled endpapers. Marbled edges.

A beautiful copy of the complete, rare, herpetogical part of the first, 4to edition ("PMM edition") of a large and important series on natural history started by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788), and continued (with these two volumes) by his successor, the naturalist Bernard Germain Étienne de la Ville-sur-Illon, Comte de Lacepède (1756-18250. Together they form a coherent segment of the whole work, which, according to Adler "was the first comprehensive world summary of amphibians and reptiles". The second volume deals exclusively with snakes, and the title is shortened to Histoire naturelle des serpents. Three plates (in the first volume) misnumbered (XV as XI; XXXV as XXXI, and XL as XV). Provenance: On the front pastedowns a bookplate, Bibliothèque du C.en [= Citoyen] Capon; small stamp of Gleizes Notre. JMP on titles. Some rubbing to the boards edges and spine ends; several plates toned, but generally clean. An attractive, uniformly bound set. Do not confuse with the duodecimo edition, published in four volumes, by the the same publisher, in the same years. Adler I, p. 14; Nissen ZBI, 672; PMM 198 (in part); Casey Wood, p. 267.