Verona, Giuliari, 1796-1809. Folio (54.7 x 38.6 cm). lii, cccxxiii pp.; 76 plates (19 double-sized, five multiple folded). Contemporary style half calf over marbled boards; spine with gilt ornaments and title.

Only edition of the important precursor to the ichthyological works of Louis Agassiz, written by the Roman catholic priest Giovanni Serafino Volta (1764-1842), using material from the Museum of Count Gazola. Volta also worked for the famous natural history museum Museo di Lazzaro Spallanzani. It took 13 years to complete the work and therefore complete copies, like this one, are rare. It includes the important text and the Carta Topografica di Bolca e Vestena Nuova. The fish specimens figured are from the famous Monta Bolca site near Verona. The illustrations of the specimens are true-size, resulting in some spectacularly large plates, up to 150 cm wide. The last auction record, and the only one this century, was at the Berès sale in Paris (2006) at Euro 18,000 hammer, thus for over Euro 21,500 (then approximately GBP 19,000) in total. Title-page a bit soiled, Some marginal dampstaining to a few leaves, otherwise a very good, clean copy with the widest possible margins. Dean, p. 590; Nissen ZBI, 4289; Ward and Carozzi, 2260.