De animalibus insectis libri septem: cum singulorum iconibus ad viuum expressis autore Vlysse Aldrouando in almo Gymnasio Bonon[iense] rerum naturalium professore ordinario ...

BINDING:
Full calfskin over pasteboards. A green ribbon has been added to the binding. Headband and tailband present. Sewn onto 5 leather bands. Gilt stamped inscription on spine. Flatbacked.

CONDITION:
Binding -- spine has multiple bookworm holes and leather on the front board is splitting away from the spine. Head and tail bands badly frayed.
Pages -- lightly stained. Gather X has almost completely separated from the spine. Handle very carefully.

Generally fair condition.

DEDICATIONS:
To Francesco Maria II (†1v)
To the Reader (†2v)

FORMAT:
2°: engr. titl. + †⁴ A-3X⁶ 3Y⁴ [$3 signed (-†3, -3Y3; †1 signed as '†2', †2 signed as '†3'). 410 leaves, pp. [8], 1-767 768, [44] (misprinted 377 as '373', 442 as '424'). Boards measure: 35 x 24 cm. Leaves measure: 34.5 x 23.5 cm.

ILLUSTRATIONS:
Engraved title page, decorated initials, printer's devices, woodcuts depicting insects.

MARGINALIA:
Printed Marginalia:Moderate explanatory notes.
Handwritten Notes: Inscription on the bottom of the title page in faded brown ink -- too faded to read. Several sections of the text has been bracketed or underlined with graphite.

PROVENANCE:
CRRS bookplate on front pastedown. Call number D4 AC.2 3906d written in upper left corner of front pastedown. CRRS stamp on 3Y3r. Inscription on lower spine has three initals: R, H, and the last is obscured. This copy seems to have come from the same collection as QH 313 A47 1658 and QL 666 06 A47 1640 due to similarities in binding.
 

RELATED:
This edition is based off of the 1602 edition. There has been an attempt to preserve the original layout. The engraved title page is a copy of the 1602 original. Notable differences include the replacing of a slot with women dancing with an inscription to the Senate of Bologna. Minor variances in the look of the heraldry. There appears to be a reprint of this edition in 1644.
 

TITLE PAGE:
[Within an engraved title page depicting an archway. Two women flank the entrance and hold up a banner where the majority of text is written. At the top center and the bottom corners is the heraldry of Francesco Maria II, Duke of Urbino. Signed And. Salmincius ſculp. . 33 x 23.5 cm. Platemark has been trimmed off.]DE ANIMALIBVS INSECTIS │ LIBRI SEPTEM │ CVM SINGVLORVM ICONIBVS │ ad viuum expressis. │ AVTORE VLYSSE [swash on V] ALDROVANDO │ in almo Gymnaſio Bono: rerum │ naturalium profeſſore ordinario │ AD SERNISS: FRANC.[swash on R] MARIAM │ SECVNDVM, │ VRBINI │ Ducem Sextum. │ Cum Indice [swash on I] capioſiſsimo. │ [within a slot] ILLVSTRISS: BONO: │ SENATV CVRANTE │ Superiorum permiſsu. │[at the bottom] Denuò Impreſs [swash on I]: Bonon: Apud Clementem Ferronium 1638.

TABLES/INDEXES:
Table depicting the classification of insects (†3v)
Index (3Tv)

TYPE:
Roman, italics.

WATERMARK:
Cross with a circle underneath. Initials in the circle are possibly M. L. P.