[Turtle] [Wunderkammer] Brief van Pieter Boddaert . . . aan den zeer weledelen gestrengen heere W. Roëll . . . behelzende eene naauwkeurige beschrijving, en naar het leven vervaardigde afbeelding, van de kraakbeenige schildpad . . . Johannes Albertus Schlosser [III. P Boddaert over de kraakbeenige schildpad / Petrus Boddaert de Testudine cartilaginea]

Te Amsterdam: by Kornelis van Tongerlo, 1770. Stiff Wrappers. Fine. First and only edition of Boddaert's description of the freshwater Southeast Asian soft-shell turtle (Testudine cartilaginea) from the Schlosser natural history cabinet, the first monograph on (and first illustration of) this species. Demy 4to (283 x 221mm): [4],39,[1]pp, printed on heavy paper in Dutch and Latin on facing pages, with folding engraved plate. Bound in recent stiff marbled wrappers, printed paper label to front cover, edges speckled green. An excellent example, virtually pristine. Nissen ZBI 434. Third in a series of five letters describing exotic animals, often bound together (De lacerta amboinensi, by Johann Albert Schlosser, and three others (numbered) by Boddaert: De Chaetodonte argo (1770); De rana bicolore (1771), and De chaetodonte dicantho (1772), published in Amsterdam. Schlosser (d. 1769) was an Amsterdam physician, member of the Royal Society in London, and collector who assembled a fine natural history cabinet. After his death, Boddaert published four reports (including this and one on the nocturnal giant leaf frog, which we also have on offer) on zoological specimens from Schlosser's collection, while also preparing Schlosser's cabinet for auction. As was customary, each publications was addressed to a colleague, in this case to W. Roëll, professor of medicine at Utrecht. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).