ABBOT, John (1751-1839) and SMITH, Sir James Edward (1759-1828). The Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia. London: T. Bensley for J. Edwards, Cadell and Davies, and J. White, 1797 [but c.1822].

ABBOT, John (1751-1839) and SMITH, Sir James Edward (1759-1828). The Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia. London: T. Bensley for J. Edwards, Cadell and Davies, and J. White, 1797 [but c.1822].

The first edition of the first book on American butterflies. “Abbot was a most assiduous collector, and an admirable draftsman of insects. [This] work is one of the most beautiful that this or any other country can boast of” (Swainson, quoted by Sabin). Born in Turnham Green, London in 1751, Abbot went to Virginia in 1773, then travelled south to Georgia in 1775, where he spent much of his long life compiling a scientific record of local birds and insects. In order to publish in London, the entomologist needed the co-operation and support of Sir James Smith, co-founder and first president of the Linnean Society. Smith, in the preface, praises Abbot highly as the first author “since the celebrated, though not very accurate, Merian,” to illustrate and describe the lepidoptera of the American continent scientifically, including both representations of the caterpillars and “the plants on which each insect chiefly feeds.” Like the Botfield copy (sale, Christie's London, 13 June 2002, lot 125), this copy is a later issue of c.1822 (the date of the watermarks is chiefly 1822). Arnold Arboretum p. 27; BM(NH) I, p.2; Dunthorne 287; Sabin 25.

Two volumes, folio (393 x 304mm). 104 hand-colored engraved plates by John Harris after Abbot. Parallel text in English and French, with index also in Latin (few spots to frontispiece, pls 62 & 39 with small marginal stains, some mild toning including to title). Later half morocco over marbled boards, spines gilt in compartments, all edges gilt (some sunning and scuffing, small gauge to back cover of vol. 1, joints starting, stain to endpapers from previous laid-in newspaper clipping).