The Natural History of Barbados - In Ten Books

London: Printed for the Author, 1750. [17], ii-vii, [2], 2-250, *251-*254, 251-314pp, [20]. Slightly later half calf and marbled paper over boards, smooth back, divided into seven panels by gilt rules, title label to second panel. Outer joints slightly split and repaired with coloured Japanese tissue, inner joints also strengthened with Japanese tissue, slightly rubbed to extremities. Internally some light browning and occasional foxing throughout, map and several plates with off-setting, couple of small nicks to page edges, small tear to map. Complete with double-page map and thirty, (actually thirty-one, with two copies of plate 23), full-page uncoloured engravings, twenty-two of which are botanical, by G. D. Ehret (For Ehret, see Alexander, page 321) and G. Bickham (for Bickham, see Alexander, pages 115-116). Alexander, in his piece on Ehret, notes that only thirteen of the plates were designed by him, and only ten were actually engraved by him, with five being engraved by James Mynde, (see Alexandere, pages 640-641), four by Bickham, and one by William Austin (see Alexander, pages 62-64). The map is by Thomas Jeffreys, (see Worms and Baynton-Williams, pages 347-351). Hunt notes that this book "is one to place beside Catesby's 'Natural History', which also gave some account of West Indian names, with similar local names. Hughes had an advantage over Catesby in that a majority of the Barbados plates were drawn by Ehret ... It is the model work by the colonial parson who knows his poets and would know all he can of the flora and fauna among which he has come to dwell". Nissen BBI:950; Sitwell / Blunt, page 104. First Edition. Hardback. Good. Folio.