SPALLANZANI (Lazzaro), Voyages dans les deux Siciles et dans quelques parties des Apennins, Paris: Maradan, An VIII [1799]. - 6 volumes in 3 volumes in-8, half tan basane with small corners, smooth spine decorated (period binding). First edition of the French translation by Georges Toscan (1756-1826), librarian of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, and in part by Amaury Duval, of the account of the travels in the two Sicilies by the famous Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799), which he undertook in 1788. This is the second French translation, since the first was given by Swiss naturalist Jean Senebier in Bern in 1795-1797: "Spallanzani's travels are mainly devoted to the study of volcanoes, that is, of the most astonishing phenomena that nature presents on earth. The author, not limiting himself to the knowledge of the external forms of volcanic bodies, wanted to penetrate into their nature, and he called upon chemistry to help him; he wanted to conceive their cause, and he resorted to the principles of physics [...Agriculture, commerce, the arts, take their place in his relations; he extends his researches to quadrupeds, birds, fish, insects, plants; finally he observes and describes all the unknown or poorly known natural things which offer themselves under his steps, or which he goes to discover himself in the places where they hide" (I, pp. vj-vij). The edition also includes notes by geologist Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (1741-1819) and 7 plates, 5 of which depict volcanoes. A good copy in contemporary binding. Some wear, small loss at head of second volume, corners dulled. Brown traces of adhesive on endpapers.