Beetles & Spiders.- Martyn (Thomas) The English Entomologist exhibiting all the Coleopterous Insects found in England..., engraved calligraphic title, 2 engraved numismatic plates, 42 fine hand-coloured engraved plates of beetles, inscribed "Presented by the Author to Thomas Marsham Esq. May 17th 1792" in pencil to foot of front free endpaper and with another pencil note "Presentation copy to Dr.Marsham...supposed to be coloured expressly : being higher in finish than usual" at beginning, 1792; Aranei, or a Natural History of Spiders...; Figures of English Spiders, 2 parts in 1, hand-coloured engraved frontispiece with a gilt-ruled border, 2 engraved calligraphic titles, 2 engraved numismatic plates, 27 hand-coloured engraved plates only (of 28, lacking plate 13 from part 2), frontispiece with light offsetting from title, one plate and one or two text leaves with small ink stain to upper margin, 1793, first editions, some plates heightened with gum arabic, tissue guards, occasional light foxing (mostly marginal or to guards), plates generally very clean, both with engraved bookplates of Melville Portal of Laverstoke, similar but not quite uniform contemporary straight-grain red morocco, the first by L.Staggemeier and Welcher with their ticket, covers with decorative gilt-tooled borders (the first incorporating Greek key pattern), spines gilt in compartments with five pairs of raised bands (first with beetle motif, the second with flower), pale blue silk moiré endpapers with gilt roll border (the first with small pineapples to corners), g.e., spines slightly rubbed and faded, a few marks to boards, [Nissen ZBI 2725 & 2724], 4to

⁂ Handsomely-bound set of these splendid works probably both bound by Staggemeier and Welcher, although the first is a little more elaborate. Martyn issued the Aranei as a revised republication of Albin's work on English spiders and Clerck's on Swedish spiders.