Lugduni (Lyon), Delamollière, 1789-1796. In ten volumes. 8vo (21.0 x 13.1 cm). 6,309 pp. [xii, 4120; 1661; xl, 476]; Three large, folded, engraved plates. Uniform contemporary quarter calf over marbled boards. Spines with gilt bands and title.

The much expanded thirteenth edition of the Systema naturae, written by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804). Beginning ten years after Linnaeus's death, Gmelin was the first to greatly augment the number of new species, especially in Aves, Insecta and Mollusca. There were two reasons for this: new voyages brought back many new species (e.g. the Cook voyages); and Gmelin could make use of many new non-binominal works (e.g., Martini-Chemnitz's work on shells). Seven volumes deal with zoology, two with botany, and one with mineralogy. There are two editions of this work, viz., one published in Leipzig (Soulsby 117), the other (this one) in Lyon. The zoology parts were published near-simultaneously; the botany and minerals a few years later. A complete collation is as follows: 1 [1789]. xii, 500; 2 [1789]. 501-1032; 3 [1789]. 1033-1516; 4 [1789]. 1517-2224; 5 [1789]. 2225-3020; 6 [1789]. 3021-3910; 7 [1789]. 3911-4120; 8 [1789]. xl, 1-884; engraved folding plate (Tab. I); 9 (1796). 885-1661; engraved folding plate (Tab. II); 10 (1796). 476; engraved folding plate (Tab. III). Small armorial bookplate on the front pastedowns. Plates I and II bound in the eighth and ninth volume. An excellent, clean set. Soulsby, 118.