Vol. 5 printed by Arding and Merrett

Issued in parts, beginning in 1802 (approximate dates of publication based on the dates that are engraved on most of the plates). According to the Natural History Museum (U.K.) catalog record for this publication, "the text at first was not always issued with the illustrations." For a list of dates of issue for parts numbered I through LXXVIII (Nov. 1, 1802-Nov. 1, 1813), see L.H. Conklin, "James Sowerby: his publications and collections," in Mineral books, edited by W.E. Wilson (Tucson : the Mineral record, 1995), p. 103-104. According to Conklin, "if the usual format was adhered to, six or seven more parts were issued after no. 77, but the publication schedule apparently slowed down significantly. The work concluded with plate DL (550) in 1817."

Originally sold by subscription. Once all parts were produced, the publication was also sold in completed sets

The publisher provided title pages for binding the set into 5 volumes, with the individual title pages dated as follows: v. 1: 1804; v. 2: 1806; v. 3: 1809; v. 4: 1811; v. 5: 1817

According to Conklin, the phrase "(with assistance)" on t.p. is assumed to refer to help from Sowerby's sons, James De Carle and George Brettingham Sowerby

The plates are numbered continously throughout the five volumes

The plates are copper-plate engravings in black or colored ink, finished with hand-watercoloring

Errors in numeration: Plate 421 is misnumbered 221 in some copies (the plate number is correct in the Cullman Library copy); Plate 413 and 415 have their numbers interchanged

"As shown by a copy of the first volume in the original wrappers, and by the dates on the plates throughout, the first part of this work was issued 1 Nov., 1802 and subsequent parts up to 1 Oct., 1805, appeared on the first of each month. No part seems to have been issued for November of that year, and publication then proceeded on alternate months beginning with February in 1806, with January in 1807, and with February again for the years 1808 to 1811. The issue then became irregular, parts appeared in February, April, June and August 1812, and in February, July, September and November 1813."--Wellcome Library record, viewed in Copac online catalog

Each volume has its own index. In addition, v. 5 contains a "Systematic index to British mineralogy" (v. 5, p. [2]-[9], 4th group) and an "Index to British mineralogy" (v. 5, p. [10]-[24], 4th group)

Each volume contains a list of errata at the end of the text

Includes bibliographical references

Schuh, C. Mineralogy & crystallography

BM (Nat. Hist.)

Dieter Schierenberg BV;

SCNHRB copy Purchased from the Cullman Endowment

SCNHRB copy imperfect: plates 101 and 230, and pages 57-58 of v. 3, are wanting

SCNHRB copy has bookplates: 1. (v. 2, only) Westdean Library, 1813; 2. (v. 4, only; armorial) John W. Trist, F.S.A., F.S.I., with motto: Nec triste nec trepide; 3. Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Purchased from the Cullman Endowment

SCNHRB copy has some short newsclippings on miscellaneous topics (such as animal behavior), from 1911 and 1912, mounted on the back paste-down endpaper of v. 4

SCNHRB copy has contemporary gilt-tooled tree-stained full leather bindings with marbled endpapers. Volumes 2 and 4 are re-backed. The bindings, while apparently dating from the first half of the 19th century and similar in materials used, are not uniform in gilt-tooling, tree-staining, or endpapers, and probably do not all share the same provenance

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