SCUDDER (Samuel Hubbard). The Fossil insects of north Americ - Lot 21

SCUDDER (Samuel Hubbard). The Fossil insects of north America, with Notes on Some European Species. Vol. I. The Pretertiary insects - [Vol. II The tertiary insects]. New York: Macmillan and company, 1890. - 2 volumes in-4, 288 x 220: x pp, (1 blank f.), 153 pp, (1 blank f.), pp. 155-455, 35 plates; (2 ff.), 734 pp, 28 plates. White half-cartonnage, smooth spine decorated (period binding). Very rare collective first edition of this collection of essays by American naturalist Samuel Huddard Scudder (1837-1911). "These two volumes, published in only one hundred copies in this bound form, contain not only, with a few rare exceptions, descriptions of all species of fossil insects (hexapods, arachnids and myriapods) from all American strata known to date, but also virtually all the literature devoted to this subject. Also included are descriptions of some European insects and critical observations on others" (Introduction, page x). The first volume, devoted to pre-tertiary insects, is illustrated with 11 drawings reproduced in the text and 35 lithographed plates in black or two-tone. The second volume covers Tertiary insects. It appeared identically in the Report of the Hayden Expedition, whose title, addressed to Washington, is at the head of the work. It contains a map of the ancient Lake Florissant in Colorado, 3 figures in the text and 28 lithographed plates depicting hundreds of insect footprints. Copy numbered 99, enriched with this autograph letter signed by the author: Société géologique de France // from the author // Samuel H. Scudder Spine and boards soiled, a few tears and scratches on boards, snag at head of first volume.