BUFFON, Georges Louis Leclerc. - Lot 20

BUFFON, Georges Louis Leclerc. General and Particular Natural History. Paris: Printed by F. Dufart, Year VIII [1799]–1808. 122 volumes, 8vo. Contemporary fawn-colored shagreen, smooth spine decorated with gilt panels and motifs, green title and volume number labels, yellow edges, endpapers of period handmade paper (excluding volumes 6 and 7 of the Reptiles and the 3 volumes of Tables; minor signs of wear on the bindings throughout, but a fine copy). A collection of 122 volumes from Buffon’s *Natural History* series in attractive period bindings. Illustrated with a portrait of the author and numerous black copperplate engravings. It consists of: Theory of the Earth (3 vols.) Epochs of Nature (1 vol.) Minerals (12 vols.) History of Animals (2 vols.) History of Man (3 vols.) Quadrupeds (13 vols.) Monkeys (2 vols.) Birds (28 vols.) Reptiles (6 of 8 vols., vols. 1–5 and 8) Mollusks (6 vols.) Crustaceans and Insects (14 vols.)—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Fish (13 vols.) Cetaceans (1 vol.) Plants (18 vols.) Modern ex libris stamps in purple ink: L. Forqueray and the Malpeyre stamp from Brioude / Haute-Loire depicting a castle (the Château de Malpeyre, located in the town of Lubilhac) in purple ink (usually on the half-title page).