The Natural History of Spiders and other Curious Insects

London, John Tilly, 1736, First Edition, 4to, [x], 76 pp, engraved frontispiece, 53 copper engraved plates, rebound in mottled calf, two red spine labels, minor spotting to rear pp, a fine copy.

Eleazer Albin is know for his detailed watercolours, masterful drawings and his published work on natural history. The Natural History of Spiders and other Curious Insects is one of his three most noted works, along with A Natural History of Insects and A Natural History of Birds. Albin prided him self on visual accuracy being a watercolour painter and was well established as a teacher of watercolour painting by the time he met the well respected English naturalist Joseph Dandridge.

Albin states his findings of the number of species of spiders found in England describing their appearance and other remarks, correcting the previous thoughts ‘of the year 1671 mention thirty three different sorts to be found in England but this falls far short’, he includes ‘useful to the publik in the cure of inter-mitting fevers; see description No. 8 of the House Spider.’ giving his recipe ‘for the benefit of the poor and country people’.

Also including the ‘Microscopical Observations on the Carter Spider and Jumping Spiders by the late Dr. Hooke’, ‘Observations on the flea, and louse; by the late ingenious Dr Hooke’, and ‘Of the Tarantula; by the Learned Dr Mead.’