Aquatilium animalium historiae, liber primus [all published], cum eorumdem formis, aere excusis.Rome, Hippolito Salviani, 1554 (colophon: January 1558). Folio. With an engraved title-page and 98 figures on 81 full-page engravings (plate size 33 x 22.5 cm) printed on integral leaves, a Salviani's woodcut device on the last page, and about 100 decorated pictorial woodcut initials (2 series) including repeats. Recased in 18th-century(?) sheepskin parchment.

[8], 256 ll.First edition (2nd issue) of a rare and extremely well-illustrated Latin treatise on Italian fishes: "the plates ... in accuracy and beauty far surpass any figures published in the next 100 years" (Dean), with 92 numbered chapters, one for each of 92 varieties of fish, giving detailed notes on their names, characteristics, locality, habitat and culinary use. The engravings are extremely detailed and accurate, giving our best early view of many of these species. 110 pages of tables give numerous cross-references to Aristotle, Pliny and many other mostly classical sources, citing relevant passages for almost every variety discussed, and there are alphabetical indexes of the Greek, Latin and common names. In addition to common fish, the plates include eels, sharks, skates, squids and an octopus. Although the present volume is called "liber primus," no more ever appeared.With a contemporary manuscript note on 2B6v. From the library of W.A. Foyle (Beeleigh Abbey), with his gold-tooled red morocco bookplate. Washed and with the title-page somewhat worn, marginal repairs to some leaves, occasionally reaching the plate edge but not the pictorial image, minor and mostly marginal foxing. Binding a bit soiled and the lower corner of the front board damaged. Still a good copy, and with generous margins.l Adams S190 (3 complete copies); Dean III, pp. 311-312; Mortimer (Italian) 454; Nissen, Schöne Fischbücher 112; Wood, p. 549 (issue not specified); cf. DSB XII, pp. 89-90.