RÉAUMUR, (R.A. FERCHAULT de).

Art de Faire Eclorre et D'Elever en toute Saison des Oiseaux domestiques de toutes Especes, soit par le moyen de la chaleur du fumier, soit par le moyen de celle du feu ordinaire. 2 vols.

Paris, L'Imprimerie Royale, 1749. Small 8vo. Bound in one cont. marbled boards. Titlelabel gil on back. Covers with small scratches and corners a little bumped. XII,342;339 pp., 15 large folded engraved plates (9+6) and 10 engraved textillustratuons (as headpieces). A few scattered brownspots.

Scarce first edition. Reaumur, perhaps better known as an entomologist and member of Academie Royale des Sciences, kept a large and well-know collection of living birds on his Country House in Bas Poitou, where Mathurun-Jacques Brisson was his assistant, collaborator and keeper of the valuable birdcollection. - "It is an importent early work on artificial incubation, mostly experiments with manure heaps and the bakers owen" (Wood), and all these experiments are depicted and analysed in the work. - BMC (NH) IV:1658 - Wood p. 530 not having the first edition, but the English and German edition.

Order-nr.: 29487