Biologia Centrali-Americana: Reptilia and Batrachia

London: Published by the editors, F. DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin, 1885-1902. First edition. The cloth binding, text and the lithographic plates of the Reptilia and Batrachia volume are all very bright and clean with few signs of use, the printed wrappers for the prospectus of the series bound in at the rear are edge-worn and a bit soiled; a tight and clean copy in near fine condition.. Pp. i-xx, 1-326; 76 full page lithographed plates by James Green, Mintern Brothers and Peter J. Smith (4 are hand-colored, 8 are chromolithographs with some retouched by hand-coloring; the remainder are fine half-tone lithographs). One-half maroon-red cloth, lettered in gilt on the spine, over olive green cloth boards, thick sm folio (12.5 x 10.25 inches; 32 x 26 cm). Bound in at the rear of the volume is the 47 page prospectus for the entire Biologia Centrali-Americana series covering zoology, botany and archaeology in the original printed pale-green wrappers. This prospectus includes an un-colored bird plate of Ostinops guatemozinus, and a double-page chromolithographic map of the area of exploration of the Biologia Centrali-Americana expeditions. Bound in after the prospectus are the original printed pale green wrappers (both front and rear) for Parts 154 (1900), 163 (1901), 165 (1901), and 179 (1903). These four sets of wrappers do not go with the Reptilia and Batrachia section described here. This work on the Reptilia and Batrachia constitutes volume 7 of the Biologia Centrali-Americana series; it was issued in 35 separate parts from 1885 to 1902. The entire series was issued in 63 volumes. It is estimated that only 300 copies were printed of volume 7 (the Reptilia and Batrachia section). Complete sets of the Reptilia and Batrachia volume are rarely offered; only ten complete copies of this work have some up for sale over the past 50 years. This copy if from the private research library of herpetologist Kraig Adler with his small bookplate on the front pastedown and his signature on the title page. There is a note on the front pastedown: "This is the copy from which the SSAR reprint was made - signed Kraig Adler." The SSAR reprint was issued in 1987; it had a print run of 800 copies. For more bibliographic information on the original edition, see BMNH 2: 747, 687 (under Godman); Nissen ZBI: 181 (1945); Wood 1931: 360 (under Godman).