[Famous and very rare butterfly book] Insectes d'Europe, peints d'apres nature

par M. Ernst. Gravée et Coloriés sous sa direction; Premiere partie, les chenilles crisalides et papillons de jour. Decrits par le R.P. Engramelle./ Seconde partie. Les chenilles crisalides et papillons sphinx, leurs descriptions. Paris, the author, Delaguette, Basan & Poignant., (1779/ 1782), 1 text vol. and 1 plate vol. Text vol.: with 342,(1) p. text (see exact collation below), 3 engraved plates and 1 engraved facsimile; Plate vol.: 1 hand-coloured, engraved title and 1 title in colour-mezzotint and finished by hand, resp. for the first and second volume of the series, 121 (of 122) + 8 (supplement) hand-coloured, engraved plates with numerous illustrations of butterflies by J.J. Juillet after J.J. Ernst, text and plate volumes uniform bound in modern marbled leather in old style, gilt and ribbed backs with morocco title shields, large 4to.

The plate volumes lacks plate XXXVII and the few text leafs (indices) bound with it are waterstained. The protective thin sheets in between are partly tanned/foxed. The text volume lacks the letterprint title pages and XI pages "Additions & Corrections" after page 206. The first two volumes of one of the most beautiful butterfly books ever published. Complete sets consist of 8 volumes with 353 platen, published in 1779-1792. The circulation was probably only 250 copies, and due to the long and troublesome time the work appeared, complete sets are extremely rare. Incomplete copies, too, are very rare. For unknown reasons the binder chose to bind the text as follows: Plate vol.: p. 335-338 and 129-130 (indices of vol. 1 and 2). Text vol.: 87-111,(2), XXXIV,1-86,(2 blank),113-160,(2),161-206,(2),207-247,X,1-128,(2 blank),131-132,249-334,339-343. The text appears therefore complete, apart from the pages mentioned, including the descriptions for the 8 supplement plates.