An Essay Towards a Natural History of the Corallines, and other Marine productions of the like Kind, commonly found on the Coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. To which is added the Description of a large Marine Polype taken near the North Pole, by the Whale-fishers, in the Summer 1753 Ellis, John, F. R. S. Natural History

xvii, [1 (blank)], [10], [1]-103, [1] pages. Plus 41 plates extra to the pagination of which 18 are folding (see below). Quarto. Early calf with maroon gilt spine label. Joints cracked but still sound. Tooled spine age darkened/sunned with minor loss at the head. With the bookplate of Wm. Constable Esq, F.R.S. & F.A.S. on the front pastedown. Some offsetting of the plates but generally a bright copy (noting a few pencil notations internally). Calf. Plates are extra to pagination and include the frontis, plates I thru XXXIII, then XXXVI, then XXXIV, then XXXVII, then the Cuff folding microscope (not numbered), then plates XXXVIII and XXXIX, and finally an additional plate in rear marked "Philos. Trans Vol. L TAB XXXIII of (Lepades Pedatae) A further plate has been folded laid into this copy from elsewhere, noting Section 15, Tab 9 (Plantae Anomalae Submarinae Fuci et Misci) on recto, and Section 15. Tab. 10 (Plante Fruticosae Submarinae et Lithodendrae). "John Ellis FRS (c. 1710 15 October 1776) aka Jean Ellis was a British linen merchant and naturalist. Ellis was the first to have a published written description of the Venus flytrap and its botanical name. The standard author abbreviation J.Ellis is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.Ellis specialised in the study of corals. He was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1754 and in the following year published An essay towards the Natural History of the Corallines. He was awarded the Copley Medal in 1767. In 1770 he presented papers to the Royal Society on the loblolly bay and the American star anise. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1774.His A Natural History of Many Uncommon and Curious Zoophytes, written with Daniel Solander, was published posthumously in 1776. Ellis was appointed Royal Agent for British West Florida in 1764, and for British Dominica in 1770. He exported many seeds and native plants from North America to England. He corresponded with many botanists, including Carl Linnaeus." (Wikipedia) Provenance: Maggs Bros, sold May 1962 and in a private collection since.