‎"MÜLLER, OTHONE FRIDERICUS.‎
‎Zoologia Danica, seu Animalium Daniae et Norvegiae rariorum ac minus notorum descriptiones et historia. Volumen primum (+) Volumen secundum. ‎

‎Havniae et Lipsiae, Weygandinis, 1779 & 1784. 8vo. In contemporary half calf. With ex-libris to pasted down front end-paper and stamp to title-page. Light wear to extremities, internally with occassional light brownspotting, but generally nice and clean. VII, (1), 103, (1), (4), 124 pp.‎

Reference : 62826

‎The exceedingly rare first two volumes of the octavo-edition of the text to Müller's famous and much praise plates - one of the foundational works of Scandinavian zoology. The work was meant to be a counterpart to Flora Danica, but it was never completed. ""The descriptive Latin text for the plates in the first Part of Zoologia Danica, which appeared in 1779, was accordingly published in octavo under the title of ""Zoologia Danica seu animalium Daniae et Norvegiae … descriptiones et historia."" This text seems to have appeared in the spring of 1779, as at the beginning of that year Müller was able to announce that the description of the animals drawn in the first Part would be issued in Latin at Easter. At the beginning of June 1779 he sent a copy of the text to the chairman of the Privy Council, Otto Thott, who is known especially for his interest in the sciences through his collections of books and manuscripts.This Latin text is rather brief. For each species it opens with a diagnosis, usually taken from Zoologiae Danicae prodromus, where most of the species were listed and to which he refers. Then follows a short summary of synonyms and a brief description of the form, and there is also information as to where it was found."" Anker, Otto Friderich Müller's Zoologia Danica, Pp. 50-51). Anker, no. 4 & 10.‎