Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, [1874]-1915. Folio (35.0 x 27.0 cm). [viii], 265 pp., 20 lithographed plates of which 15 are chromolithographed and finished by hand [1, 1bis, 1ter, 2, 3, IV, 5, 5bis, 5ter, 5quat, 6, 7, 8, 8bis, 9, 9bis, 10, 10bis, 10ter, 11quint (error for 10quint) ], one text engraving. Recent green half morocco over marbled boards. Gilt lettered spine with six raised, gilt-bordered bands.

A fine and rare complete copy of this superbly illustrated work on the fishes of Central America and the Caribbean, with the descriptions and illustrations of many new and poorly known species. The work forms part four of the "Mission Scientifique" comprising 13 volumes. This volume is particularly rare in a complete state, such as this copy, as it was published in instalments over a period of over no less than 40 years. Many of the fine coloured plates, heightened with gum-arabic, are by Bocourt and lithographed by Mesnel. "This well-known study of Central American natural history was issued in parts, some of the sections being still incomplete" (Wood). Léon Louis Vaillant (1834-1914) was a noted French ichthyologist and herpetologist and professor of reptiles and fishes at the Paris Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle and "thus came to hold the chair of Count de Lacepède and Dumérils and inherited responsibility for the then-largest collections of reptiles and fishes in the world" (Adler). Marie Firmin Bocourt (1819-1904) combined zoological knowledge with great artistic qualities. It was in fact he who initiated the "Mission scientifique" series, together with the ichthyologist and herpetologist Auguste Duméril (1812-1870). First few leaves with an insignificant marginal dampstain, some inoffensive spots on text leaves, but generally very clean, and with fine, accurate colouring. Adler [1], pp. 58-59; Cat. BM(NH) II, p. 605; Dean II, p. 574; Wood p. 466. Not in Sabin.