Zoology of New York or the New York Fauna: Introduction and Zoology, Part I: Mammalia

Pp. 1-188, i-xii, (1), 1-146; 2 uncolored lithographs of the Croton Aqueduct; 33 engraved lithographs of mammals (29 are hand-colored, 4 are uncolored).  Publisher’s original dark brown cloth, ornately blind-stamped and gilt-lettered on the spine, with a gilt state emblem emblazoned on the front cover, original clay-coated yellow endpapers, steel-engraved series title page, lg 4to.  This is the first volume of the Natural History of New York series.  The first part of the volume is a general overview of the series covering a variety of topics by William H. Seward, the second part presents the mammals of New York State with 29 hand-colored plates of mammals.  Less than 300 copies of this work were produced with the plates hand-colored.  Signature of Erastus Root, the first owner of work, on the front endpaper and first blank endpaper is dated 1842.  Erastus Root (1773 – 1846) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.  He is most notable for serving four separate non-consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 19th Century (from Wiki).