BUFFON (Count of). HISTOIRE NATURELLE, générale... Lot 35

BUFFON (Count of). HISTOIRE NATURELLE, générale et particulière, avec la Description du Cabinet du Roi. P., Imprimerie Royale, 1749-89. 38 volumes in-4 marbled blond calf, framed with triple black fillet on the boards, spine decorated with gilded boxes and fleurons, morocco title page, gilded tomaison and subtitle, red edges (Binding of the period). Rubbing, spotting and leather loss to binding, spine faded; angular loss without affecting the text on pages 453/456 of vol. I; 2 plates are missing: plate 49 of vol. VIII (plate 48 is duplicated) and plate 5 of vol. XXI. ORIGINAL EDITION of the first 38 volumes of the most famous work of natural history. It is illustrated with a PORTRAIT of Buffon by Drouais and 1125 hors-texte PLATES (one of which is double) engraved on copper after Sève, 3 MAPS, 2 tables and a table. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, 1749-67 (15 vols.) Supplément de l'Histoire Naturelle, 1774-89 (7 vols.) Oiseaux. 1770-83 (9 vols.) Minerals. 1783-88 (5 vols.) Oviparous and Snakes, 1788-89 by de La Cépède, (2 vols.). From 1798 to 1804, five more volumes on fishes and one on cetaceans were published to complete this edition. From the library of A. J. L. Charpentier with his armorial bookplate. ¶ Brunet, I, 1376 : " The curious seek this first edition in-4 because of the beauty of the engravings which it contains ".