ZOOLOGY - Entomology - Réaumur, René Antoine Ferchault de. Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire des insectes. 6 parts in 12 volumes. With 267 multiply folded. Copperplates by Ph. Simonneau and H. du Moutier de Marsigli. Amsterdam, Pierre Mortier, 1737-48. 8°. Red paper boards of the time with gilt spine titles and volume numbering (spine and outer third of covers minimally light-marked, minimally rubbed, corners bumped). Nissen ZBI 3315. - Second edition, complete copy. - DSB XI, 331: "Réaumur's greatest work in natural history.... He seemed fascinated about all with insect behavior, obviously admiring the industry, dilligence, ingenuity, organization, and skill of those small creatures.... Réaumur, in short, was a pioneer in applied entomological research... His descriptions were minute and exacting in every detail, and his experiments were among the most ingenious he ever contrived... Réaumur's researches were extensive and original... He made some of the first tentative studies of communication among the bees". - Réaumur laid the foundation of modern entomology with his present work by "... consistently combines observation and experiment and takes up problems in his questions, which are still today quite stimulating and instructive to read". The insects are represented in great detail on the plates and are "often captured very vividly" (Nissen pp. 131 and 286). - Isolated foxing as well as minimally browned.