[Natural History] Lister, Martin. Historiae Animalium Angliae Tres Tractatus. Unus de Araneis. Alter de Cochleis...

London: John Martin, 1678. First edition. 4to. (viii), 250, (1) pp., including errata. Illustrated with nine engraved folding plates. Modern quarter blue morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, lettered in gilt; all edges trimmed. Nissen ZBI 2527; Wing L-2523

Scarce first edition of Martin Lister's first book. Lister (1639-1712) was an English naturalist, physician, Royal Fellow, and physician to Queen Anne from 1709 until his death. Considered the first arachnologist, he was the first person to systematically describe the species of British spiders and study their habits and anatomy. The current work is divided into three sections, the first on spiders, followed by two sections on river and marine mollusks.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.