The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne,

£500 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

Mitford's royal octavo edition A good example of the naturalist Rev. Gilibert White's (1720-1793) popular masterpiece, of which more than eighty editions have been published. The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne contains the first detailed account of local fauna in Great Britain, if not the world, and is one of the few works on the subject which has attained the rank of an English classic. This edition, published the same year as the 'Mitford quarto', is also known as 'Mitford's royal octavo edition'. Mitford edition, 2 vols; 8vo (22 x 15 cm); 4 engraved plates including two engraved frontispieces (one hand-coloured in vol. II), some offsetting to title pages, slight marginal spotting throughout, decorated endpapers; restored preserving the contemporary diced calf, spine gilt decorated and lettered, slightly rubbed; pp.viii, 351,364; overall a very attractive set. Martin, pp.107-108.

• Binding: Hardcover

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