An Illustration of the Sexual System of Linnaeus Vols I & II Full leather - 1794

London: Published as the Act directs & Sold at the Author's House in Dorset Court near Parliament, 1794 A good set in largely contemporary full leather bindings with 190 of 191 plates. Vol I is dated 1794; Vol II has a different title: 'An Illustration of the Termini Botanici of Linnaeus' and is dated 1789, but they are separate parts of the same work. All the illustrations were completed by Miller, who was an eminent illustrator of botanical works. This copy is in a largely contemporary full calf binding with gilt decoration to boards and spine. The original spines have been relaid and the corners repaired. The bindings are in very good clean condition with some light scuffing. The marbled endpapers have been retained with repair to the joints. The books do not lie flat when opened. All page edges gilted. The contents have been completely misbound with sections of Vol I and II interchanged. Vol I has the correct title and frontispiece, followed by the Preface to Vol II, and then the correct Preface and preliminaries (pp i-xvi). The remainder of the volume should be in Vol II, and contains 84 of 85 hand coloured plates. Plate 20 was never published and Plate 21 is missing. The total number of plates for the volume is therefore 85 including the frontispiece. Vol II has the correct title but lacks its preface (in Vol I). The remaining contents should have been in Vol I and include a single Plate I which belongs with the preliminary section, and text and plates 1 - 106. Plates 101 and 104 are absent - these were never published. 1 page of errata (from Vol I) ends the work. The total number of plates for this volume is 105. Both volumes have light toning to pages and occasional light marking. Vol II has a crease to the fep and darker toning or light spotting to top margins. There is an ink mark to the gutter of the title page. The final blank has a repaired side edge tear. Plates are well coloured and generally clean.