Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

Fabre, Jean Henri. Souvenirs entomologiques. Etudes sur l’instinct et les moeurs des insectes. Edition définitive illustrée. 10 vols. – (Together with:) G.-V. Legros. La vie de J.-H. Fabre naturaliste, suivie du répertoire général analytique des souvenirs entomologiques. Together 11 vols.

With 176 illus. on plates and numerous small illus. in the text. 4to. Publisher’s half calf with 2 red labels. Spines richly gilt with insect in all four compartments. – Paris, Delagrave, 1920–1924.

Vols. I and IV marked „Huitième mille“. Complete and definitive edition of J.-H. Fabre’s (1823–1915) seminal work on the behavior of the insects including the finalizing eleventh volume with the life of Fabre and the index to the preceeding 10 vols. Published in series between 1879 and 1907, ths work is not only a proof of Fabre’s work as naturalist but is at the same time of outstanding quality as a piece of literature. Thus Fabre was candidate for the Nobel prize in Literature in 1912, when at the end Gerhard Hauptmann was awarded. – Ms. owner’s entries or owner’s stamp on flyleaves of all volumes. Fine set. – Best.-Nr. 25319