FISHING FISHING 
Animal Stories — Fly-Fishing, Too!
Aelianus, Claudius. [4 lines in Greek, then] Aeliani de natvra animalivm.... Londini: Gulielmus Bowyer, 1744. 4to (26.2 cm, 10.4"). 2 vols. I: xiv, xxvii, [35 (index)], 603, [1] pp. II: [605]–1128, [88 (index and addenda)] pp.
• ESTC T88657; Dibdin, I, 232; Schweiger, I, 2. Contemporary vellum-covered boards, covers framed and panelled in blind with central blind-stamped strapwork medallions, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels. Boards sprung with front joint of vol. I open and separating from bottom, vellum soiled. Front free endpapers with early inked owner’s name as above; shadow of shelf number once pencilled on title-page, erased. Spotting of various sorts and minor smudging in upper margins of some pages; leaves otherwise clean.
First AMERICAN Edition — 
New Plates New Poems New Wood EngravingsDagley, Richard, illustrator. Death’s doings. Consisting of numerous original compositions, in verse and prose, the friendly contributions of various writers ... from the second London edition, with considerable additions. Boston: Charles Ewer (pr. by Dutton & Wentworth), 1828. 8vo (22.5 cm, 8.9"). 2 vols. in 1. Vol. I: [4], [xiii]–[xvi], add. engr. t.-p., 6, [2], [xvii]–xxii, [2], 232 pp.; 16 plts., illus. Vol. II: add. engr. t.-p., [2], 233–472 pp.; 14 plts.
Single-click any image where the hand appears on
30 plates present here. These plates have been re-engraved by an unidentified American artist working from the London second-edition originals, and do not bear Dagley’s initials; the anonymously done wood-engraved tailpieces present in the London second edition (but not the first) are also present here. The second volume has a separate title-page; the contents do not exactly match the list of plate titles and locations given in the first volume, but the overall number of plates is correct. 
“The
Angler”) and R. Montgomery (“Gaming”),
as well as a number of others, with several additional pieces by L.E.L. (Letitia
Elizabeth Landon). Interestingly, “The Warrior” is attributed to
Landon, who did indeed publish a poem by that name — but that text is
not the one given here.
• On Dagley, see: Dictionary of National Biography. Contemporary half red morocco over marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; binding rubbed and scuffed overall, but sturdy. Shadows of occasional pencilled marks of emphasis; many plates moderately to significantly foxed, as well as some pages. Two leaves with short tear into upper margin, not touching text.
On the
Beauties of Hertford on the Lee Scott, John. Amwell. A descriptive poem. Dublin: Pr. for S. Price, W. Watson, J. Potts, et al., 1776. 8vo (18.5 cm, 7.3"). 32 pp.
one of Izaak Walton's favored fishing sites. This is the first Irish edition,
printed in the same year as the London first.
Click the interior image for an enlargement. • ESTC T2712. Marbled paper wrappers. Half-title very lightly stamped by a now-defunct institution. Small ink blot touching outer page edges, otherwise very clean.
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