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A History of British Butterflies. by F.O. MORRIS

Creator: F.O. MORRIS
Offered by: Shapero Gallery

Description
MORRIS, F.O.

A History of British Butterflies.
With seventy-one coloured plates.

Stock Code 113955
London, Groombridge and Sons, 1865

Current price$495.00
Charming hand-coloured plates. A handsomely bound copy of this classic of British natural history, illustrated with 71 hand-coloured plates of butterflies. The first edition appeared in 1852 and 1853, and Freeman records printings in 1857, 1860, and the present one of 1865, but does not assign them to either the first or second edition, giving 1870 as the third.

The Reverend Francis Orpen Morris (1810-1893) was 'A man of seemingly boundless energy' who 'engaged in numerous parish and literary pursuits'. 'Of all his publications, Morris was perhaps best known for his voluminous, illustrated books on natural history. His collaboration with the Driffield woodblock colour printer Benjamin Fawcett in the production of Bible Natural History (1849–50) was followed by the successful six-volume History of British Birds, initially issued in monthly parts over seven and a half years, beginning in June 1850, A Natural History of the Nests and Eggs of British Birds (1853–6), A History of British Butterflies (1853), and County Seats of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland (1866–80)... He also supported the causes of bird protectionism and anti-vivisectionism—in a rare absence from his parish he travelled to London to give evidence before the select committee on wild birds protection on 26 June 1873. He was instrumental in establishing the Plumage League in 1885, and he was one of the earliest members of the Selbourne League, which was created in December of the same year. In 1888 the government acknowledged his work as a naturalist with the award of a civil-list pension of £100 per annum.' (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

4to; hand-coloured frontispiece and 70 plates, 2 engraved plates, contents a little toned with occasional spotting; late 19th-century dark green crushed morocco, spine elaborately gilt in compartments, gilt floral roll to boards, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, spine tanned, boards a little rubbed and dulled, a very good copy; 168pp and 29pp supplement on entomological practice.

Freeman, British Natural History Books 2672.

More Information

Documentation:	Documented elsewhere (similar item)
Period:	19th Century
Condition:	Good.
Styles / Movements:	Traditional
Dealer Reference #:	113955
Incollect Reference #:	759352

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