Humphreys, H. N. and J. O. Westwood — British butterflies and their transformations, arranged and illustrated in a series of plates by H. N. Humphreys; with the descriptions by J. O. Westwood.

London, William Smith, 1841. Large 4to (27.3 x 21.0 cm). Finely hand-coloured lithographed title, letterpress title, xii, 139 pp.; 42 finely hand-coloured lithographed plates. Contemporary burgundy pebbled half-morocco over grained cloth. Spine with five raided, gilt-lined and stippled bands; compartment rich gilt with butterfly vignettes and floral borders, and gilt title. Marbled endpapers. All edges marbled. = First edition of a fine publication by the English entomologists Henry Noel Humphreys (1810-1879) and John Obadiah Westwood (1805-1893). The text is mostly by Westwood; the illustrations are by Humphreys, hence a tendency among compilers to list this work under Westwood. "62 Col. Taf." in Horn-Schenkling is an error and should read 42. This copy is complete. Inscribed on the front free endpaper James Le Mauld (?), and dated 1850. Plate 11 bound before 10, as usual (i.e., following the text). Front board a bit smudged; internally, however, excellent: text and plates fine, exceptionally clean. A great copy. Hagen II, p. 273; Horn-Schenkling, 23753 (both under Westwood); Nissen ZBI, 2049 (under Humphreys).