St. Germain, L. Toinon, 1867-1869. 8vo (24.8 x 16.0 cm). 260 pp.; some woodcuts in the text. Printed wrappers.

A very rare edition of a local guide to the snakes of southwestern France, with notes on their venom. In the rear is the illustrated Tableau synoptique, with engravings of the heads of the snakes occurring in the region. Eight species are recognized. The author, Ambroise Viaud-Grand-Marais (1833-1913) was a pathologist and humanist. He is not mentioned in Adler's Contributions to the history of herpetology. The first edition must be even rarer: In Cat. BM(NH) it is listed as "wanting". Contained in an old, printed wrapper of the book dealer Joseph Gibert "Librairie classique", on the Boulevard Saint-Michel in Paris. Uncut. Old tape repair to wrapper spine head and foot; light damp stain in the top margin, and more vaguely in the lower outer quarter of the first and last few leaves; a few spots, otherwise good. Cat. BM(NH), p. 2211.