Sowerby (James) & James de Carle Sowerby. The Mineral Conchology of Great Britain, 6 vol. only (of 7, as often), first edition, engraved portrait to vol. 1, 613 hand-coloured engraved plates, several folding, comprising plates numbered 1-609, plates 33 bis & 184 bis, and duplicates of plates 173 & 315, Systematical Index to vol. 6, plates 402-407 misbound at end vol. 6, ink ownership initials "T. Mc K. H." to front free endpapers, ink reference to titles, vol. 1 title with tiny hole affecting letter of imprint and small loss to lower blank corner, plate 359 trimmed into image at fore-edge, a few plates with number corrected in manuscript, some light offsetting, some foxing to text leaves and very light spotting elsewhere, occasional light browning, still plates generally clean and bright, contemporary purple half morocco, spines gilt and lettered in French "Coquilles Fossiles d'Angleterre", rubbed and worn in places, still an attractive set, [Nissen ZBI 3917], 8vo, Benjamin Meredith [& others], 1812-29.

⁂ Sowerby’s classic study of the British fossils. On his death in 1822, the work was continued by his son James de Carl Sowerby. This set is without the scarce unfinished and untitled seventh volume, which which issued in 8 parts from 1840-46.

Provenance: Thomas McKenny Hughes (1832-1917), Welsh geologist and Woodwardian Professor of Geology at Cambridge University (ownership initials).