Plot, Robert. The Natural History of Oxford-shire, Being an Essay toward the Natural History of England.
1st. Ed. Pub. Printed at the Theater in Oxford. 1677 pp.[xii, 358, [xii] with magnificent map of Oxfordshire, illus. title-page, 16 full-page plates and imprimatur leaf. Small folio. Hardback. Charming bookplate of George Bowden. Small, light coloured, mark to inner corner of blank margin bottom edge, o/w. contents very clean, bright and nr. fine. Contemporary full calf boards with more recent morocco spine retaining original spine title label, corners neatly reapaired, all in vg. plus condition. A very pleasing copy.
£1,850.00 [ref: 65511]

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Pollich, Johannis Adami. Historia Plantarum in Palatinatu Electorali Sponte Crescentium Incepta.... Tomus Tertius- Cryptogamia.
Pub. Mannhemii. 1777 pp.320 with 12 engraved images neatly tipped in. Bound in contemporary full calf with very neat repairs to the spine. Contents vg. to fine. Very scarce in original edition. A fascinating copy.
It would appear that a previous owner has tipped 12 engraved illustrations (from around the same period) into this work which would normally come without any illustrations at all. The illustrations are of the following plants - Musci (Moss) chapter Phascum subulatum, Mnium fontanum, Mnium setaceum, Mnium cirratum, Mnium crudum, Mnium triquetrum, Bryum caespiticium, Hypnum repens, Hypnum clavellatum, Hypnum myurum, Algae chapter - Jungermannia multiflora and Jungermannia undulate.
£300.00 [ref: 39082]

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Purchas, Samuel. A Theatre of Politicall Flying-Insects. Wherein especially the nature, the worth, the work, the wonder and the manner of right-ordering of the Bee, is discovered and described.....and in a Second Part are annexed meditations, and observations theological and moral in three Centuries upon that subject.
1st. Ed. Pub. R.I for Thomas Parkhurst, London. 1657 pp.13 leaves, 387 with both longitudinal title-page and separate title-page for the Second Part. With errata leaf. Collated and complete. 8vo. Hardback. AEG. Three, very small neat repairs to verso of main title-page. A few spots, very minor mark to one blank margin o/w. the contents are exceptional and in fine condition. Very handsome, early 20th Century full mottled calf-leather binding by Zaehnsdorf, spine richly gilt decorated with red and green labels, inner gilt dentelles, all in very nr. fine condition. Marbled end-papers. Prov: Neat private library stamp to rear pastedown (Rothamsted, Lawes Trust, acquired by them in 1918) and neat hand-written lib. no. to front pastedown. Scarce. Harding 35.
Samuel Purchas was the son of the author of ‘Purchas his Pilgrimes’ (1619). He became rector of Sutton in Essex and he dedicated this book, which references early beekeepers and their works, to Robert, Earle of Warwick. Purchas was clearly a deeply religious man and a great advocate of Bees.
£2,500.00 [ref: 55045]

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Ray, John [Raii, Joannis]. Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum, tum Indigenis, tum in agris cultis... In qua praeter multas Stirpes & Observationes curiosas spar-sim insertas; Muscorum Historia negligenter hactenus & perfunctorie tradita plurimum illustratur...
2nd. Ed. Pub. S. Smith & B. Walford, London. 1696 pp.[xl], 346, [xxii], 55, [i] with 19 blank leaves (for notes) bound at the beginning and 18 blank leaves at the end. With an engraved frontis. portrait of Ray (by Elder after Faithorne) from a copy of Ray’s ‘Synopsis Methodica Animalium’ (1693). 8vo. Hardback. With insc. of W. Carr dated 1779 to ffep., with the number ‘55’ to margin of title-page which also has a small, neat, repair to the verso. Separate title-page for ‘De Methodo Plantarum’ and additional errata slip to foot of last page. Contents very clean and nr. fine. Contemporary full calf, with decoration, lightly rubbed to extremities with more recent sympathetic spine in fine condition. A very pleasing copy indeed.
The second edition of Ray’s Synopsis of British Plants. Originally published in 1690, this the second edition was for Ray (1627 - 1705) ‘the culmination of his life’s work...’ (Keynes). In this edition ‘the number of pages is increased, and a new section with sub-title and separate pagination is added at the end. Ray added a second preface, which again is of much interest...’ (Keynes).
£495.00 [ref: 67514]

Rea, John. Flora: seu De Florum Cultura. Or, a Complete Florilege, furnished with all Requisites belonging to a Florist. In III Books.
1st. Ed. Pub. London by J.G. for Richard Marriott. 1665 pp.[24], 174, [2], 175-199, [3], 203-239, [5] plus 8 engraved plates of garden designs. Small folio. Hardback. Just occasional spotting, o/w. contents fine. Old inked pen-trial. Contemporary reversed calf boards, with Cambridge panel style decoration, neatly rebacked, all in very pleasing thor. vg. condition. Provenance: Henry Streatfeild (1706-1762) of Chiddingstone, Kent, English landowner with his ownership inscription to engraved title-page and his armorial bookplate.
A very pleasing copy of ‘the most important English treatise on gardening to be published during the second half of the seventeenth century (Henrey). Rea undertook writing of the book since he found that Parkinson’s ‘Paradisus’ needed ‘the addition of many noble things of newer discovery.’ The work contains designs for gardens, and many pages dedicated to fruit (apples, cherries, pears etc) and tulips.
£2,950.00 [ref: 58320]

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Rennie, James. A Conspectus of the Butterflies and Moths found in Britain.
1st. Ed. Pub. William Orr. 1832 pp.xxxvii, errata, [ii], 287 with vignette title-page. Small 8vo. Hardback. With dated signature of William Buckler (May 29th. 1855) and his neat annotations to twelve leaves. Small piece excised from ffep. and half-title. Some spotting o/w. contents fine. Period green cloth, spine more recently relaid, in thor. vg. to nr. fine condition. A unique copy.
‘For the last quarter-century of his life, William Buckler [1814-1884] devoted his energies to drawing and describing caterpillars of British moths and butterflies, [his] ‘Larvae of the British Butterflies and Moths’....was rightly hailed as the finest set of such illustrations ever made. It still is.’ (Salmon). For a fascinating biography of Buckler, we recommend reading Salmon’s ‘The Aurelian Legacy’.
£275.00 [ref: 63756]

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Repton, Humphry. Observations on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening. Including some Remarks on Grecian and Gothic Achitecture.
1st. Ed. Pub. J. Taylor, London. 1803 pp. 16, 222 [2], frontis., (portrait of author), 27 plates. Fourteen overslips. Collated and complete. 4to. Portrait and one engraved plate lightly foxed. A little, light offsetting. Double-page plate has small, neat repair at fold. Otherwise contents in fine condition. Prov: Bookplate of Walter Ambrose Harding, Madingley Hall, Cambridgeshire. Recently rebound in handsome, period-style, half-brown calf-leather with marbled boards by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath. Spine richly gilt tooled and lettered. Binding in fine condition.
First edition of the second of Repton's three works featuring his ingenious use of folding overslips to show the estates before and after improvement. "These three works are chiefly compiled from the author's 'Red Books' and are illustrated with facsimiles of the original sketches, engraved in aquatint. These publications are important as records of Repton's work and views as a landscape gardener. But they are also among the finest examples of books to appear in this country illustrated by the aquatint process" (Henrey).
£7,950.00 [ref: 49126]

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Roberts, Peter. The Cambrian Popular Antiquities; Or an account of some Traditions, Customs, and Superstitions, of Wales with observations as to their origin, &. &c.
Printed for E. Williams. 1815 pp.[ii], viii, 360 with 9 fine hand-coloured plates and 1 b/w. plate. 8vo. Hardback. Very minor indications of age, o/w. contents exceptionally clean and in fine condition. Recent handsome half leather over marbled boards, with gilt lettering to spine, very gently sunned to spine o/w. in fine condition. A very pleasing copy.
£250.00 [ref: 68557]

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Robinson, William. Flora and Sylva. A monthly review for lovers of Garden, Woodland, Tree or Flower; New and Rare Plants, Trees, Shrubs, and Fruits; the Garden Beautiful, and Home Landscape
1st. Ed. Pub. London. 1903 Three volume set bound in original blue cloth with 66 fine chromolithograph plates. Small folio. Hardbacks. Minor amount of foxing, o/w. contents in fine condition. Original blue cloth bindings showing some light wear at extremities, o/w. in thor. vg. condition.
This work was originally released in monthly parts and then bound at a later date. A sumptuous, superb work.
£295.00 [ref: 34934]

Robinson, William. Gravetye Manor, Or Twenty Years’ Work round an Old Manor House.
1st. Ed. Pub. John Murray. 1911 pp.xii, [ii], 155 with plates and illus. Folio. TEG. Prov: Period armorial bookplate with motto ‘Le Jour Viendra’ to ffep. With the bookplate of Peter Herbert, former owner and rejuvinator of Gravetye Manor to verso of ffep. Spotting to ends, plate tissue guards (one with a tear and a little loss) and only very occ. internally o/w. contents exceptionally clean and fine. Original vellum with gilt lettering to front cover and spine, (silk ties removed) marked o/w. thor. vg. A pleasing copy.
Peter Herbert purchased Gravetye Manor in 1958 and set about restoring William Robinson’s gardens.
£250.00 [ref: 66710]