Actinologia Britannica. A History of the British Sea-Anemones and Corals by Philip Henry Gosse - 1860

LONDON : John Van Voorst, 1860 A very good copy of the 1st edition of what is considered to be one of Gosse's finest works. With colour-printed frontispiece, 10 further colour printed plates, and 1 plain plate engraved by Dickes from Gosse's drawings. In the original green cobbled cloth binding with gilt decoration and titles to front board and spine. The binding is sound and tight having been recently rebacked, relaying the spine which had some loss at the top and bottom. The gilt design on the front board is bright. There is a slightly paler area at the top of the front board, and light corner turning and wear. Internally there is professional repair at the endpaper joints. There is the bookplate of the Buteshire Natural History Society at the front pastedown endpaper. Contents are complete and very clean. There is some offsetting from plates to guards eg at the frontispiece and the occasional light mark in the margin. 2 pages of adverts at the rear.