SOWERBY | A catalogue of the shells contained in the collection of the late Earl of Tankerville, 1825

SOWERBY, GEORGE BRETTINGHAM

A catalogue of the shells contained in the collection of the late Earl of Tankerville, arranged according to the Lamarckian conchological system. London: G. B. Sowerby, 1825

FIRST EDITION, 8vo (225 x 141mm.), nine hand-coloured engraved plates, contemporary limp boards, edges uncut, occasional slight spotting, rebacked, wrappers a bit frayed

"Charles Bennet, fourth Earl of Tankerville... formed a shell collection that became famous, particularly after his death when it was put up for sale. It exceeded even the Bligh collection in choice and rare shells for it included some of the best specimens from the Portland Museum and a large part of the Calonne shell collection" (Dance, A History of Shell Collecting, pp.107-108).

LITERATURE:

The ninth plate, present here, often seems to be absent from this book.

The last three numbered pages, placed behind the plates, form a prospectus for the "Species Conchyliorum or concise original descriptions and observations, accompanied by figures of ALL the species of Recent shells, with their varieties". This pamphlet is dated 1 January 1831 and was hence added later. The Species Conchyliorum, although introduced in the pamphlet as "This day is published", had in fact begun in 1830, but never made it beyond volume 1, part 1.

PROVENANCE:

James Reid, ownership inscription