Molluscs of the Russian Empire
DVIGUBSKY, Ivan Alekseevich.
Опытъ естественной исторіи всѣхъ животныхъ Россійской Имперіи … [Opyt estestvennoi istorii vsekh zhivotnykh Rossiiskoi Imperii; ‘An Attempt at the Natural History of all the Animals of the Russian Empire’]. [Fly-title:] Животныя мягкія и раковинныя [Zhivotnyia miagkiia i rakovinnyia; ‘Soft and shelled Animals’]. Moscow, University Press, 1831.
8vo, pp. 72, [10], with a terminal errata leaf and 12 ff. of numbered engraved illustrations (an octopus, slugs, snails, and shellfish); the two index leaves, giving Russian and Latin names, misbound before final text leaf; first 2 ff. repaired at inner margin, old adhesive repair to tear to foot of Б8, without loss, some minor spotting to text, outer edge of one or two plates shaved just touching captions; a good copy in early quarter cloth with red marbled sides; rebacked, lacking endleaves, corners and endcaps bumped, extremities chipped; old shelfmark to title, stamped monogram to title verso.
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Опытъ естественной исторіи всѣхъ животныхъ Россійской Имперіи … [Opyt estestvennoi istorii vsekh zhivotnykh Rossiiskoi Imperii; ‘An Attempt at the Natural History of all the Animals of the Russian Empire’]. [Fly-title:] Животныя мягкія и раковинныя [Zhivotnyia miagkiia i rakovinnyia; ‘Soft and shelled Animals’].
First edition, rare, one of a series of six works on the flora and fauna of the Russian Empire, published 1829–1833 under the same general title. The present volume covers molluscs, including cephalopods and gastropods.
Dvigubsky (1771–1839) was Professor of Physics at the Imperial Moscow University, but his scientific interests ranged through biology, chemistry, and medicine. He was also the University rector for seven years. His survey of Russia’s flora and fauna was the among the first attempts at a coordinated catalogue of the country’s wildlife, and in 1828 he published the first Russian-language guide to the flora of Moscow and its environs. He strongly advocated both teaching and writing in Russian, and encouraged his colleagues at the university to publish their scientific works in Russian. Amongst the species represented here are the naval shipworm (Teredo navalis), the depilatory sea hare (Aplysia depilans), the sea angel, or clione (Clio borealis), and the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris).
OCLC shows copies at Illinois, Library of Congress, and Minneapolis Public Library; Library Hub adds another, at the British Library. There is also a set of the complete series at the National Library of Russia.