Gessner,C.

Historiae animalium liber II de quadru pedibus ouiparis (And:) liber III qui est de Auium natura. 2 vols. in 1 vol. Zurich, Froschauer 1554-55. fol. With numerous woodcuts. 4 fol. (le.w.), 110, 27 p.; 18 fol. (le.w.), 779 p. Blind stamped gilt over wooden boards with 2 clasps. (Restored, back cover renewed using the old cover). VD16 G 1724 u. VD16 G 1730. - "The physician and naturalist Konrad Gesner (1516-1565) belongs to the founders of modern zoology. His books on animals constitute the most authoritative zoological work between Aristotle and the appearance of Ray's Classification of Fauna" (Carter-Muir 77). "Early on, Gessner's intention seems to have been to publish an encyclopedia of animals, although his plan to publish a systematic rendering of all branches of knowledge for researchers, teachers, and libraries to use as a reference was much broader. To him this was the conquest of the spiritual world and of nature by memory and diligence." (A. Rübel, Conrad Gessner als Zoologe, in U. Leu/M. Ruoss (eds.), Conrad Gessner 1516-2016, p. 148). - Few leaves with repaired marginal defects or tears (without loss of text), lightly browned, spotted in places a. waterstained. First title with old hs. Ownership notes a. with numerous old annotations a. marginalia on the margins. - Photograph. Restoration documentation and securing of removed folds in glued on. Envelope on the back. Inside cover. - 2 parts in 1 volume. With numerous woodcuts. Contemporary blindstamped pigskin over wood with 2 clasps (restored). Few sheets with repaired damages (no text loss), slightly browned, partly stained and waterstained. First title with old handwritten ownership notes.