ZOOLOGY - Crustacea - Leach, William Elford. Malacostraca Podophthalma Britanniae; or Descriptions of such British Species of the Linnean genus Cancer as have their eyes elevated on footstalks. With 54 coloured engraved plates. Plates by James and G. B. Sowerby (of which 5 double-page plates). London, B. Meredith for J. Sowerby, 1815-1875. gr.-4° (31.2 × 25.8 cm). Half leather binding with gilt-stamped spine title and gilt spine (edges and joints somewhat rubbed, block somewhat loose). Original delivery wrappers bound in at the end. Nissen ZBI 2404 - Complete set of the original deliveries. - William Elford Leach (1790-1836) was one of the great British zoologists of the early nineteenth century. He began his career as an assistant at the British Museum, where he was responsible for the zoological collections. - Front inner hinge chipped, evenly slightly browned. Provenance: bookseller's label Henry Sotheran. - Christie's 3548 (2013), lot 65 - Swiss private collection.