Belon, Pierre. De aquatilibus (Paris, 1553)

AUTHOR: Belon, Pierre (1517?-1564)
TITLE-PAGE TRANSCRIPTION: PETRI BELLONII CENOMANI | De aquatilibus, Libri duo | Cum eiconibus ad viuam ipsorum effigiem, quoad | eius fieri potuit, expressis. | Ad amplissimum Cardinalem Castillionaeum. | PARISIIS. | Apud Carolum Stephanum, Typographum Regium. | M. D. LIII. | Cum priuilegio Regis.
COLLATION: 12 x 18 cm., 8º: a-b⁸ A-2E⁸ [$4 signed] pp. [32], 1-448
CONTENTS: p. [i]. Title page. p. [iii]. Carolus Stephanus lectori. p. [v]. Petrus Bellonius Cenomanus. p. [vii]. Index capitum, et eorum quae sub his continentur. p. [xii]. Alter index antiquorum ac recentium vocabulorum, quibus Graeci, Latini, Itali ac Galli... p. 1. Text.
ILLUSTRATIONS: Wood engravings. p. 6, Balena. p. 9. Delphinus. p. 10. Delphini conuexi figura ex antiquissimo marmore. p. 11. Duo delphini incurui, dorso repando, ex antiquissimo numismate aereo. p. 13. Matricis delphini cum foetu efformatio. p. 14. Delphini caluaria. p. 16. Orca. p. 19. Orca. p. 21. Vitulus marinusp. 23. Hippopotamus numismatis Adriani, cuius nobis copiam fecit quaestro Grollerius. p. 25. Hippopotamus ex colosso Nili alio excerptus. p. 27. Fabulosus equus Neptuni. p. 30. Fiber. p. 32. Lutra. p. 34. Lupus marinus. p. 36. Mus aquaticus. p. 39. Pictura piscis monachi. p. 41. Crocodilus niloticus. p. 43. Crocodilus terrestris. p. 45. Ichneumon. p. 47. Scincus. p. 49. Cordulus. p. 52. Testudo prona. p. 55. Testudo supina. p. 57. Chamaeleon. p. 60. Canis carcharias. p. 61. Libella. p. 63. Vulpecula. p. 64. Vulpecula italica. p. 66. Serra marina. p. 68. Matricula marina. p. 70. Spinax. p. 72. Galei stellati. p. 73. Galeus stellaris. p. 74. Galeus stellaris. p. 76. Mustela. p. 78. Squatroraia. p. 80. Raia. p. 82. Laeuiraiae cognomento, miraleti delineatio. p. 84. Raia stellata. p. 88. Rana marina. p. 90. Torpedo. p. 91. Torpedo supina. p. 93. Torpedo oculata. p. 95. Turtur & pastinaca marina. p. 97. Aquila marina. p. 101. Sturio. p. 102. Attilus piscis. p. 104. Ichthyocolla. p. 108. Thynnus. p. 112. Glaucus. p. 114. Venetis falso. p. 118. Coracinus. p. 119. Umbra marina. p. 121. Lupus. p. 123. Asellus. p. 125. Pesce molle. p. 127. Ouis marina. p. 128. Morhua vulgo nostro ab Anglis desumpto. p. 130. Antiquorum callariam esse puto. p. 131. Galeo venetorum. p. 133. Grillis alter. p. 134. Colfisch anglorum. p. 137. Pesce falce. p. 140. Rhombus. p. 141. Paffer vulgaris. p. 143. Quadratulus vulgo. p. 147. Solea & lingulaca. p. 151. Quibusdam cetola dicitur, Gallis. p. 153. Callychthis. p. 155. Lampuga. p. 157. Sepens marinus. p. 160. Murene. p. 162. Congrus. p. 164. Acus & aculeata. p. 167. Sudis, Plinio. p. 169. Halecula seu halec. p. 172. Harengus. p. 176. Mullus. p. 179. Pelamis. p. 181. Dentex & dentalis. p. 184. Mormyrus. p. 186. Rubellio. p. 189. Sarba. p. 191. Trachurus. p. 193. Aurata. p. 195. Hirundo. p. 197. Miluus. p. 200. Orphus. p. 202. Colias. p. 206. Cuculus. p. 209. Pesce forca. p. 212. Cephalus, seu mugil. p. 217. Draco marinus. p. 219. Callionymus, sive uranoscopus. p. 221. Blennus, vel caepola. p. 224. Exocetus, sive adonii. p. 226. Maena. p. 228. Smaris seu cerus quem giaulum vocant. p. 230. Boces vel boopes. p. 232. Altera boca bopgyrus ovidio dicta. p. 234. Gobius aut gobio marinus niger. p. 235. Gobius albus. p. 237. Atherina. p. 142. Sparus. p. 244. Sargus. p. 247. Iuris albi quo condiebantur saxatiles pisces. p. 250. Scorpio marinus et scorpaena. p. 254. Lepras. p. 256. Iulis. p. 258. Phycis. p. 260. Turdus. p. 262. Merula. p. 263. Piscus pisciis. p. 265. Canadella. p. 267. Castagnola, peculiaris. p. 269. Perca marina. p. 271. Melanurus. p. 275. Cyprinus. p. 279. Salmo vel sulmo. p. 284. Thymalus. p. 186. Lavaretus. p. 188. Umbla vel humbla. p. 290. Epelanus. p. 291. Epalanus fluviatilis. p. 295. Perca fluviatilis. p. 297. Lucius. p. 299. Orchis vel orbis. p. 300. Alius piscis niloticus. p. 308. Liparis, macedoniae pisciculus. p. 310. Clupea, seu alosa. p. 312. De apro pisce. p. 314. Leuciscus. p. 319. Alburnus. p. 313. Phoxinus, qui vulgo veronus. p. 315. Tinca. p. 332. Polypus uterque. p. 336. Sepia. p. 339. Lolligo. p. 342. Urtica marina. p. 345. Ursa maior et minor. p. 346. Cicada marina. p. 352. Astacus. p. 355. Cammarus. p. 358. Squillae, gibbae minores. p. 364. Cancellus. p. 366. Cancer fluviatilis. p. 367. Cancer marinus. p. 370. Pagurus. p. 373. Maia. p. 375. Heracleoticus cancer. p. 380. Nautilus. p. 382. Nautilus alter. p. 383. Tertia nautili species ab Aristotele prodita. p. 389. Stellae marinae edules. p. 391. Aliae stellae non edules. p. 392. De testa duriore contectis univaluiis. p. 395. Patella maior. p. 396. De balano, seu glande marina. p. 398. Mytulus. p. 400. Pinna et perna. p. 403. Tellinae minores, quae basilicae et regias. p. 405. Piperata chama. p. 406. Chama lae vis. p. 407. Chamae pelorides. p. 408. Chama nigra. p. 409. Pecten auritus. p. 411. Pectunculus. p. 414. Dactylus seu unguis mas & foemina. p. 417. Ostrea gaideropoda. p. 420. Purpura. p. 412. Purpura paiuscula. p. 426. Buccinum aut murex. p. 417. Nerite cochlea. p. 419. Cochleae marinae. p. 420. Umbilicus marinus. p. 433. Vertibula, sive tethya. p. 443. Asilus, sive oestrum. p. 446. Hippocampus. p. 448. Typhle marina.
BINDING: Brown leather binding, red leather spine label.
NOTES: “First edition. An edition in French appeared two years later. It describes some 110 species of fishes, 16 from fresh water, the others marine. ‘Belon is looked upon as the founder of modern ichthyology as well as an authority on ornithology. The illustrations on fishes and some other aquatic animals in this volume are of exceptional quality for the sixteenth century, although some of them are fanciful’ (Wood p. 230). Belon was a student of Valerius Cordus and became one of the first explorer-naturalist of the near East. In Rome he met the zoologists Rondelet and Salviani, both eminent disciples of ichthyology after Aristotle, both of whom published important illustrated works on fishes. Apart from fishes the above work depicts a whale, dolphin, beaver, otter, crocodiles, tortoise, hippopotamus, as well as the famous sea-monk, which supposedly washed on a beach in 1531. ‘Belon enriched the biological sciences by new observations and contributed greatly to the progress of the natural history in the sixteenth century … (his) observations were generally correct. He looked at the world as an analyst devoted to detail. He succeeded in winning the confidence of the great and was famous during his lifetime’ (DSB).” — Antiquariaat Junk Catalogue no. 276. “Besides fish, this work depicts a whale, dolphin, beaver, otter, crocodiles, tortoise, hippopotamus, as well as the famous sea-monk, which supposedly washed up on a beach in 1531. There is also an extensive section on shells. ‘The De Aquatilibus … has numerous well executed figures of shells accompanied by scant descriptions. By illustrating the outer side of one valve of a bivalve shell overlapping all by the hinge of its partner’s inner side, Belon anticipated an economical method of portraying bivalve shells that is still widely used’ (Dance)” — William Patrick Watson catalogue no. 10
REFERENCES: Nissen ZBI, 302; Brunet p. 762; Adams B554
KEYWORDS: 1. Fishes. 2. Zoology.
LOCATION: QL615.B44 1553
OTHER CALIFORNIA LOCATIONS: UCLA