Madagascar - Grandidier's copy - Lot 561

Madagascar - Grandidier's copy GRANDIDIER (Alfred) Physical, natural and political history of Madagascar. Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1875-90. * A/ Histoire naturelle des Mammifères (incomplete by one volume) - * B/ Histoire naturelle des Oiseaux (complete). 7 volumes in-4: * A/ Volume VI: Histoire naturelle des Mammifères (vol. VI, tome I, text I); Volume IX (tome IV, atlas I); Volume X (tome V, atlas II). 2 volumes of text and one volume of atlas are missing. * B/ Volume XII: Histoire naturelle des Oiseaux (tome I, text); Volume XIII (tome II, atlas I); Volume XIV (tome III, atlas II); Volume XV (tome IX, atlas III). One supplement volume missing. Set of plates by Faguet, Gélibert, Huet, Terrier, Arnoult, Louveau and Keulemans, all mounted on tabs. Complete collation in the commentary. Contemporary ½ brown chagrin, ornate spine bands, gilt title and tomaisons, gilt arms of Grandidier at foot. The incomplete mammal part and complete bird part (apart from the supplement) of Alfred (1836-1921) and Guillaume (1873-1957) Grandidier's (father and son) monumental work on the natural history, and history, of Madagascar. The entire work, rare and remarkable, was published over a period of more than 80 years, and written by numerous specialists in various fields of zoology and botany, such as Vaillant (herpetology), Mabille (butterflies), etc., sometimes in collaboration with the Grandidiers. Some parts were never completed, or announced but not published; others were reprinted, with or without re-editing. A complete compilation of all published parts and their variants is still missing. This set includes the section on birds (the much later published supplement is missing from this copy, however) and an incomplete part of the section on mammals. The numbering of the volumes (and consequently the numbering of the spines) is somewhat confusing. The numerous color plates in the bird volumes are of great beauty. Collation of atlas volumes: * A/ Natural history of mammals: Volume IX: 122 plates (with plate 79bis) - Volume X: 122 plates (with plates 122 A to Z, and plates 254 A to D; plate 238 never appeared). * B/ Natural history of birds: Volume XIII: up to plates 104 (with plates: 1 A, 9 A, 9 A bis, 9 B and C, 12 A, 13A, 14 A, 16 A, 19 A, 24 ?26 A, 29 A to C, 30 A, 32 A, 36 A to D, 38 A, 39 A, 40 A, 41 A to 41 C, 66 A and B, 84 A, 89 A, 103 A, and 104 A to C) - Volume XIV: plates 105 to 207 (with 106 A, 107 A and B, 108 A, 111 A, 113 A, 113 ?117 A, 121 A to C, 123 A and B, 125 A, 126 A and B, 128 A, 131 A and B, 138 A, 140 A, 141 A, 144 A, 145 A, 146 A, 154 ?, 156 A , 160 A, 164 A, 170 A and B, 172 A, 177 A, 200 ? 201 A) - Volume XV: plates 208 to 308 (with 214 A, 225 A, 227 A to D, 229 A, 230 A and B, 233 A and B, 241 A, 247 A, 249 A, 268 A, 2 268 B, 271 A, 275 A, 281 A, 290 A and B). Provenance: Grandidier's copy, with his coat of arms gilded at the foot of each volume.