Berlin and Stralsund, Gottlieb August Lange, 1783. 8vo (21.0 x 12.8 cm). Letterpress title, three half-titles (to each "Ordnung"), 165 pp. (x [preface, index], 152, [iii]); 36 engraved and finely hand-coloured plates. Woodcut head and tail pieces. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Spine with gilt vignettes and red and green morocco labels with gilt ornamental borders and title. Yellow edges.

A seldom-seen, well-illustrated work by the German zoologist Georg Heinrich Borowski (1746-1801). This is the very rare original hand-coloured edition. Borowski, a professor at the university of Frankurt an der Oder, was an early follower of Linnaeus in using binominal nomenclature. In this work he introduces a new system of higher taxa, including reptiles, amphibians, and some fish. Plate numbering is odd, as follows: 1.A, 1.B, 1.C, 1.D, II[.A], II.B, III, IV.A, IV.B, IV.C, IV.D, IV.E, V, VI, VII.A, VII.B, VII.C, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII.A, XXIII.B, XXIV, XXV. The series, Gemeinnüzige Naturgeschichte [with other parts spelled Gemeinnüzzige] was published in ten volumes; this is the only part dealing with reptiles and amphibians, and the last one written by Borowski. Volumes 5-10 were written by the German zoologist and entomologist Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst (1743-1807). Old stamp of the Grosherzogliche Bibliothek Neustrelitz (dispersed in 1950) on title blank verso. Slight wear to hinges, a few small, isolated spots, but in all an excellent copy - the plates clean with bright colouring. Nissen ZBI, 472. Neither in Adler nor in the Crane Library Catalogue, nor in Soulsby.