[Insects] L'Admiral, Jacob.

Naauwkeurige waarneemingen omtrent de veranderingen van veele insekten of gekorvene diertjes (...) door wylen den heer Jacob L'Admiral (...) zynde deze diertjes vertoond op boomen, planten of bloemen, daar zy op huishouden, of van leeven, in verscheiderley standen en beweegingen (...). Amsterdam. Johannes Sluyter. 1774.

Folio, half leather with cased boards, title on spine, title page with large vignette in contemporaneous colouring, (2),34,(2) pp. and 33 handcoloured plates in beautiful contemporaneous colouring. Binding with minor imperfections, a few text pages and one print with light browning, else in very good condition. Second extended edition (from 25 to 33 prints) with an introduction by Martinus Houttuyn. Most plates show the various species as egg, larva, pupa and in mature state, male and female and positioned on the plants in their natural habitats. Scientifically speaking, this work was an improvement on all previous work including the pioneering work of Maria Sibylla Merian.