PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Caius.

Des wijdt-vermaerden natuer-kondigers vijf boecken. Handelende van de nature, I. Van de menschen. II. Van de viervoetige en kruypende dieren. III. Van de vogelen. IV. Van de kleyne beestjes of ongedierten. V. Van de visschen, oesters, kreeften, &c. Hier zijn by-gevoeght de schriften van verscheyden andere oude autheuren, de natuur der dieren aengaende. En nu desen laetsten druck wel het vierde part vermeerdert, uyt verscheyden nieuwe schrijvers en eygen ondervindinge, en met veel kopere platen verçiert.

      Dutch edition with plates of a.o. a mermaid, the 1636 orang utan brought to the Netherlands, and the Dodo Amsterdam, widow of Michiel de Groot, 1681. 8vo. Contemporary vellum with title in ink on spine. Engraved frontispiece with Adam and Eve in paradise with the engraved text 'C. Plinius S. Vande menschen, beesten, vogelen en visschen' in a cartouche and impressum 'for the widow of Michiel de Groot, and Gysbert de Groot, 1681, woodcut fleuron on title, 53 half-page engraved plates in text, woodcut endpieces and initials. 568 (8) pp. Rare Dutch translation of the Historia Naturalis by Plinius Secundus, or Maior (23-79 AD). The widow of Michiel de Groot first published an edition in 1680, of which this is a title-issue. As other editions our edition is also much enlarged with information not available to Plinius, for instance the animals from the West Indies, the far East and Australia. During the seventeenth century at least 14 editions of the Dutch translation of this first serious attempt to comprehend nature as a whole, were published; the first in 1610. The book is divided into five parts: (1) On human beings (Van de menschen; pp. 5-102); (2) On quadrupeds and reptiles (Van de vier-voetige en kruypende dieren; pp. 103-358. With 31 engravings of a.o. an elephant, dragon, elk, dromedary, lion, rhinoceros, crocodile, hippopotamus, lizard, donkey, sheep, mole, turtle, ant-eater, llama, as well as an 'Indian satyr' (= the orang utan brought from Angola to the Netherlands in 1636, together with the description by Prof. Nicolaas Tulp!)); (3) On birds (Van de vogelen; pp. 359-484. With 14 engravings of a.o. an ostrich, eagle, ibis, cassowary, penguin, as well as extinct species as the famous 'dodo' and the mythical creature 'phoenix'); (4) On the litle animals and vermin (Van de kleyne on-gedierten; pp. 485-508. With 2 engravings of an scorpion and a 'tree-dragon'); (5) On fishes (Van de visschen; pp. 509-568. With 6 engravings of a dolphin, seal (2), walrus, whale-hunting, as well as a mermaid. Very good copy.- (Library stamp on inside of front cover, frontispiece and title; some waterstains at beginning; sm. tear in p. 509). Geerebaert p. 157; cf. BMN II, pp. 216-7 (1662-3 Dutch eds.);De Rynck & Welkenhuysen, De oudheid in het Nederlands, p. 304; Wood (1657 Dutch ed.).