London, Ernest Benn, 1964-1972. Three volumes in three. Large 4to (29.6 x 20.3 cm). 670 pp. [I (1964) xx, 1-192 pp.; II (1968) xiv, 193-381 pp.; III (1972) xvii, 382-670 pp.]; three frontispieces, 465 distribution maps and text figures, 266 tables, one large folded map. Original uniform red buckram with gilt titles on spines.

To many, Arabia seems to be a largely lifeless desert, however, this book shows that quite the opposite is true. An important monograph on the mammals of this geographically and geologically varied area, with detailed descriptions, also of skulls, etc., to facilitate unequivocal identification, even of the rare and obscure species. A fine glossary, extensive reference lists, a list of localities and an index complete the work. The author, David Lakin Harrison (1926-2015) was an English zoologist who established, with his family, the Harrison Zoological Museum, later known as the Harrison Institute. The Harrison Institute is a UK charity that specialises in mammal taxonomy and biodiversity studies in the Old World tropics and subtropics, especially southern and southeast Asia, Arabia and eastern Africa. In the last 50 years, the Harrison Institute has organised or participated in over 75 field surveys and expeditions to 36 countries in five continents. Each has been concerned with an aspect of natural history and was part of a wider programme of conservation or wildlife studies involving scientific institutions from the host country. This publication is a very special set as it includes three hand-written dedications by the author to Dr Robert E. Lewis dated 2-12-1964 to 21-6-1972 with a signed photograph pasted in dated Spring 1966, and also with an original letter, on his own stationery, dated 1 May 1968, to "Dear Bob", including the note "I must now settle down to do battle with those dreadful rodent things" and signed by "Dave (Abu Watwat)". Watwat is Arabic for bat. The American entomologist Dr Robert Earl Lewis (1929-2017) specialized in fleas (Siphonaptera) parasitising on mammals. During the 1960s he worked for the American University of Beirut, in Lebanon. The preliminary papers are not numbered consecutively, but the main text is. The boards of Volume III a bit stained, otherwise a fine set.