Casselis Cattorum [Kassel], Theodor Fischer, 1882. 4to (27.3 x 22.1 cm). vii, 301 pp.; 16 exquise lithographed plates of which 13 superbly hand-coloured. Near contemporary grained blue half cloth over grained burgundy cloth. Script title on the spine.

Rare, rather early, and extremely well-illustrated work on Japanese Mollusca, which includes new species. Wilhelm Bernard Rudolph [or Rudolf] Hadrian Dunker (1809-1885) was geology professor at the University of Marburg, and founder of Palaeontographica, the most important palaeontographical periodical of the 19th century. He was one of the most important malacologists of his time (Wikipedia). He was usually known as Wilhelm, a name sometimes Latinized to Guilielmo, as on the title page of this work. The plates are of great accuracy and beauty. Their quality was not reached again until more than 50 years later when the Japanese started to publish their own full colour shell books, printed in 6 to 12 colours. Light shelf-wear. All text pages and plates clean, which is highly unusual. Nissen ZBI, 1208.