An Essay towards a Natural History of the Corallines and other Marine Productions found on the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland; to which is added The Description of a Large Marine Polype taken near the North Pole by Whale-fishers in 1753

4to [27 x 21 cm]; xvii, [x], 103 [i]; pp, 40 engraved plates, some folding, including frontis & plate of Cuff's aquatic microscope, some of the plates are by Ehret, renowned botanical artist. contemporary full calf, gilt decorated spine, gilt title lettering on leather spine label, joints cracked and worn but holding, edgewear, small armorial bookplate on endpaper, light foxing, interior is clean and very good, no tears. A picture of this book Freeman 1131: 'plate 38 absent in many, plate 39 in most copies'. Both are present here, plate 39 being the microscope plate, being the earliest depiction of Cuff's aquatic microscope (see Clay & Court, History of the Microscope, p66-68). 'In 1754 he became a fellow of the Royal Society, and in the following year established his reputation as one of the most acute observers of his time by the publication of An Essay Towards a Natural History of the Corallines. . . . imperfectly comprehended by Linnaeus, he established the animal nature of this group of organisms'. Linnaeus described him as a 'bright star of natural history', and 'the main support of natural history in England'. Nissen 590. British Museum Cat. 523. Knight, Natural Science Books in English: 'Ellis's handsome volume on corals and zoophytes'. Knight, Zoological Illustration p. 103: 'the classic work was done by John Ellis in his Essay towards a natural history of the Corallines, of 1755. . . he persuaded Ehret, the great botanical artist, to accompany him, there to draw from nature. . . The book duly contains delicate engravings from these drawings'.