Insects.- Linnaeus (Carl) Centuria Insectorum Rariorum, disbound, later cloth backstrip, [Soulsby 2251], Upsala, 1763 § Roemer (Johann Jacob) Genera Insectorum Linnæi et Fabricii iconibus illustrata, 37 engraved plates by J.R. Schellenberg, engraved title vignette, very occasional light scattered spotting to text, J. d'Aguilar bookplate, modern morocco-backed boards, 1789, first editions, large & small 4to (2)

⁂ The first mentioned is a taxonomic work by Carl Linneaus, defended as a thesis by Boas Johansson, which has led to some controversy over who should be credited with its authorship. It includes descriptions of 102 new insects and crustacean species that had been sent to Linnaeus from British America Suriname Java and other locations. Most of the new names included in the 'Centuria Insectorum' are still in use although a few have been sunk into synonymy and one was the result of a hoax: a Common Brimstone butterfly with spots painted on was described as the new species Papilio ecclipsis. It is also rare at auction; we can only trace one other example. Library Hub records only 3 copies held by an institution.

The second item is the first and only edition of an attractive Swiss publication on entomology. The work was published with plain, as in the present copy, or hand-coloured plates. The fine plates were drawn and engraved by the famous Swiss artist J.R. Schellenberg, who was himself an entomologist.