First and only Portuguese edition of parts II and III of Erasmus Darwin's Zoonomia, or the laws of organic life (London, 1794-96). In Zoonomia, Darwin covered nearly all aspects of animal biology and proposed revolutionary ideas that in many ways anticipated the evolutionary theory of his grandson Charles Darwin. Baeta, who annotated this edition, was a proselytizer for Erasmus Darwin's theories. He had to flee Portugal for fear of persecution due to his sympathies with the French Revolution. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and returned to Lisbon, where he entered politics. His works were printed in England and Lisbon.
Manuscript ownership entry in ink on title "Jorge Gaspar de Oliveira Rollão". In very good condition. The binding is rubbed and the spine damaged, primarily near the foot. The only Portuguese translation of one of Erasmus Darwin's main works. Innocêncio III, 190; Lisbon, Faculdade de Medicina, Catálogo da coleção portuguesa I, 39; Ferreira de Mira, História da medicina portuguesa, pp. 326 & 295; Gonçalves Rodrigues, A tradução em Portugal 2720 (not mentioning the engraved plate); WorldCat (5 or 6 copies); not in Wellcome Lib.