Paris: P. Bertrand, 1855. Quarto, 20 lithographic (twelve coloured) plates. Contemporary half morocco, printed green wrappers retained, a very good copy.

The mammal volumes with six handcoloured primate plates, eight plates of bats (two handcoloured), two handcoloured rodent plates, a handcoloured plate of the Armidillo, a coloured plate of River Dolphins and an uncoloured plate of Didelphid skulls.

Francis de Castelnau (1810-1880) was a French naturalist best known for his first expedition into the Canadian lakes followed by a five year expedition, starting in 1843, into South America. He also has a substantial Australian connection because he was the French consul from 1864 to 1877, an active member of the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and the Entomological Society of New South Wales. He died in Melbourne in 1880. He was the unfortunate victim of a scientific hoax with a description, based on a drawing, of an archaic fish which he named Ompax spatuloides.

Complete in 14 volumes published 1850-1859. "This classic work of the natural history of South America, the text chiefly from the pen of Count de Castelnau, assisted by M. P. Gervais (mammalia), M. O. Des Murs (birds) and A. Guichenot (reptiles). It is one of the most valuable contributions of its kind in all zoological literature" (Casey Wood p. 281).