De reptilibus vere animantibus sacrae scripturae, Tomus primus

Pp. [12] 375 [4] ff, 122 [24] ff, title page in red and black with woodcut gryphon device.  Contemporary limp vellum, title is lettered in black on the spine, 4to.  There are some large historiated initials and many small ornamental initials in the text.  First edition of this scholarly study of the reptiles which are mentioned in the Bible and in the Holy Land in general; a second edition appeared in Lyon in 1620.  This is an important treatise which was made use of by Samuel Bochart in the Hierozoicon, a similarly erudite examination of the animals that appear in the scriptures.  Bustamente’s work focuses particularly of various species of snakes and describes the antidotes that can be given in the case of poisonous ones, but there is also discussion of chameleons, basilisks, dragons and tarantulas.  This work is complete with the second part which contains (ff. 66-122) book six, with separated title page, which has chapters on lizards, salamanders, scorpions, worms and seven chapters on crocodiles, where there is mention of the ichneumon wasp, the deadly enemy of the crocodile, and the ibis which together with the crocodile was venerated in Egypt.  There is a description also of the Trochilus (crocodile-bird). and its benefits to the crocodile.  The crocodile is much mentioned in the Bible and the whole of chapter 41 of the Book of Job is devoted to a description of the crocodile under the name Leviathan.  See also Palau 37780 and Tristram, Natural History of the Bible, 1898.