Fauna Boreali-Americana; Or the Zoology of the Northern Parts of British North America: Part Third - The Fish

London : Richard Bentley , 1836 . First Edition . Very Good . 4TO . Containing Descriptions of the Objects of Natural History Collected on the Late Northern Land Expeditions, Under Command of Sir John Franklin, R.N. John Richardson, 1787-1865, was the physician-naturalist on Franklin's two Arctic overland expeditions (1819-1822 & 1825-1826). He was instrumental in ensuring the survival of the remnants of the crew during the very difficult first expedition. His journal from this expedition was published as Arctic Ordeal, published by McGill-Queen University Press in 1984. The Fauna Boreali-Americana was his major work and was published in four volumes - The Quadrupeds, Birds, Fish and Insects - from 1829-1837, the Fish being published in 1836 with Richardson as the sole author. It describes 133 species of fish. With 2 wood-cuts in the text and 24 full page illustrations at the rear, 14 hand coloured, all by Waterhouse Hawkins and numbered from 74 to 97. Eighty nine and 90 are etched on copper, 94 to 97 are drawn on zinc and the remainder lithographed. This copy originally in the Royal Society library and latterly in the library of a Marine Research Institute. The plates have been stamped on the rear with a now undecipherable small circular stamp which in some cases has transferred to the following plates. Very faint on most of them, more noticeable on the last several black and white plates. Bound in blue cloth with two gilt stamped black leather spine labels. Sabin 71028. AB 14492.