Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden], J. G. La Lau, 1838. Folio (36.8 x 28.0 cm). Engraved title (to the Fauna Japonica), dedication leaf, letterpress title (to the Reptilia part). xxi, 144 pp.; one unnumbered engraved plate, 28 lithographed plates, of which two double-sized or larger [numbered chelonii I-IX, ophidii 1-6, VII, 8-10, saurii et batrachii I-VIII, and one unnumbered plate of a turtoise carrying a grotesque appendage on its shield], one double-sized, partly coloured map of the world. Contemporary polished half calf with blind-tooled floral edges over marbled boards. Spine with four raised bands, compartments with blind-tooled vignettes and three black morocco labels with gilt title, gilt vignette and gilt-rolled arabesques; greyish-blue endpapers; edges mottled brown.

The excessively rare original edition of a quintessential work on the herpetofauna of Japan and adjacent seas. It includes the original description and illustrations (on two double-sized plates) of the giant Japanese salamander, a species brought to Europe by Von Siebold. In 1934 it was reprinted in just 100 copies, but of this original much fewer are known. In particular the parts on salamanders, and on turtles and turtoises are in fact a world-wide monographs of these groups, with, of course, emphasis on Japanese species. Peculiar is a plate showing a turtle with a mysterious growth on its back. The plate is captioned Testudo margarititera (error for margaritifera, i.e., pearl-carrying), but it is not mentioned anywhere in the text. Gray (p. 11) states that it is from the (rear) cover of the Fauna Japonica, which explains the aberrant paper, which is evenly toned, whereas all other plates and text pages are clean, without toning. Several (turtle) plates wit a vague damp stain in the top margin, one with weak toning to the fore edge, pencilled corrections (justified?) to two plate captions, otherwise, fine. There are only very few auction records of complete copies: the first in 1876 (!), another as part of a complete Fauna Japonica set in 2003, but remained unsold at £80.000 - £120.000. Of the few copies ever offered in the trade, most lacked the large map which is present here. Adler III, p. 104; Gray, J. E. (1856) Catalogue of Shield Reptiles in the Collection of the British Museum. Part I. Testudinata (Tortoises); Landwehr, Dutch Books with Coloured Plates p. 200 (stating that it is not coloured, hence not numbered); Nissen ZBI, 3848 (under Von Siebold).