KIENER (Louis Charles). [Species general et iconographie des coquilles vivantes, publiés par monographies, comprenant la collection du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Paris, la collection de Lamark, celle de M. B. Delessert]. Paris : Rousseau, J. B. Baillière, [1834-1850]. - 6 volumes in-4, 298 x 225. Dark green half-chagrin, ornate ribbed spine, speckled edges (period binding). Brunet, III, 659. A rare and sumptuous edition of the work by Louis Charles Kiener (1799-1881), curator of the collections of the Museum d'histoire naturelle de Paris, and those of the Prince de Masséna, a major scientific and aesthetic reference in conchyliology. It is both a scientific and artistic masterpiece, marking the history of conchyliology long before the work of Sowerby and Reeve. The magnificent plates were hand-colored by Maubert, Vaillant, Roch and others, some by Kiener himself, and are among the finest illustrations of shells ever published. This copy includes all 138 issues published between 1834 and 1850. It lacks the titles, but has all the text leaves and color plates, numbering 740. The volumes are not arranged by family, but by genus, and are composed as follows: I - Buccin genera, 112 pp. pp. 105-108, 31 plates. - Cancellaire, 44 pp. 9 plates. - Helmet, 40 pp. 16 plates. - Cerite, 104 pp. 32 plates. - Columbine, 63 pp. 16 plates. - Fasciolar, 17 pp. (1 f.), 13 plates. II - Genres Cone, 379 pp. 111 plates [pages 289 to 379 have been enlarged, as have plates 7, 9, 10, 24]. - Tarière, 3 pp. 1 plate. - Thracie, 7 pp. 2 plates. III - Spindle genus, 62 pp. (1 blank), 31 plates. - Marginelle, 44 pp. (1 blank), 13 plates. - Mitre, 120 pp. with 34 plates. - Pleurotome, 84 pp. 27 plates. - Purple, 151 pp. 46 plates. IV - Porcelain genera, 166 pp. 58 plates [pages 65 to 80 have been enlarged, as have plates 4, 5, 21, 55, 56 and 57]. - Ovum, 26 pp. (1 f.), 6 plates. - Pterocere, 14 pp. (1 f.), 10 plates [plates 4, 6, 7 and 9 have been reenlarged]. - Ancillary, 29 pp. 6 plates [pages 1 to 16 have been rewrapped]. - Ranelle, 40 pp. 15 plates. - Turritelle, 46 pp. 14 plates [plates 4 and 6 have been rebound]. - Scalaria, 22 pp. 7 plates. - Phasianelle, 11 pp. 5 plates. V - Pyrule genera, 34 pp. 15 plates. - Tonne, 16 pp. 5 plates. - Tornatelle, 6 pp. (1 blank), 1 plate. - Triton, 48 pp. 18 plates. - Turbinelle, 50 pp. 21 plates. - Screw, 41 pp. 14 plates. - Volute, 69 pp. (1 blank), 52 plates. VI - Genres Rocher, 130 pp. (1 f.), 47 plates [the leaves from pages 113 to (132) have been reloaded, as well as plate 17]. - Roulette, 10 pp., 3 plates. - Dial, 12 pp. 4 plates. - Dauphinule, 12 pp. 4 plates. - Eburne, 8 pp. 3 plates. - Strombe, 68 pp. 34 plates [plates 12, 14 and 19 reenlarged]. - Harp, 12 pp. 6 plates. - Rostellaire, 14 pp. (1 f.), 4 plates. - Cassidaria, 10 pp. 2 plates. - Struthiolaire, 6 pp. 2 plates. - Pyramidelle, 8 pp. 2 plates. In 1873, issues 139 and 140 were published, devoted to the Turbo genus. One of the few copies on wove paper in in-4 format. Some sections and plates come from the in-8 edition, and can be identified by the fact that they have been enlarged. Spines rubbed with use, some headbands damaged. One volume is disbound, and another has the spine rebacked in black cloth. Some foxing and soiling.