Sowerby, James The Mineral Conchology of Great Britain Or Coloured Figures and Descriptions of those Remains of Testaceous Animals or Shells, which have been preserved at Various Times and Depths in the Earth. London: Benjamin Meredith [and others], 1812-29. First edition, 6 volumes, 8vo (23 x 14cm), later half morocco by Riviere & Son for Henry Sotheran, engraved portrait frontispiece, 611 hand-coloured engraved plates (numbered 1-609: including 33 and 184 bis; 22 folding; plate 231 misnumbered 131), index at rear of each volume, volume 6 with Systematic, Stratigraphical, and Alphabetical Indexes to the First Six Volumes ... To which is added a Short Account of the Life of the Author (with separate title-page dated 1834) at rear, the stratigraphical indexes apparently each headed 'Supplementary Index' and bound separately into the relevant volumes, volume 2 with addenda leaf ('Additional Localities to Shells Described in Vols. I. and II', volumes 4-6 each with corrigenda leaf, volumes 5-6 without the 'Supplementary Index' or the 'Life of the Author' (these not found in other copies examined), spines sunned and marked, consistent light offsetting, occasional spotting (generally light), volume 1 pp. 45/6 with section reattached [Nissen ZBI 3917; Ward & Carozzi 2093] (6)

Note: Sets of the first six volumes with all the plates as here are notably rare. A seventh volume, containing 39 plates and never completed, appeared much later, in 1846. Provenance: 1) Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), Scottish-American industrialist and benefactor (bookplates). 2) Sir Alexander Stone (1907-1998), Scottish financier and benefactor.