Second - much enlarged - edition of Goulds Report on the Invertebrata of Massachusetts which first appeared in 1841. It was the first monograph published in the United States that attempted to describe the entire molluskan fauna of a geographical region. The book, one of the most important monuments of Goulds scientific work, greatly encouraged the study of mollusks in the United States and was illustrated with more than 200 figures drawn by Gould himself, who states "Every species described, indeed almost every species mentioned, has passed under my own eye. The descriptions of species previously known, have been written anew; partly, that they may be more minute in particulars, and party, with the hope of using language somewhat less technical than is ordinarily employed by scientific men".
Binding shows very minor signs of wear, minor tear in the inner margin (near the spine) of the title-page, without affecting the title or other information on the page, pp. 517-520 loose, with ownerships entry of William Henry Waitt (1819-1878), dated 1870. Overall in very good condition. Nissen, ZBI, 1660a. cf. Dict. of American biogr., VII (1931), pp. 446-117; Encycl. Britt., 12 (11th ed.), p. 284; J. Wyman, Biographical Memoir of Augustus Addison Gould (1903), in: Biogr. Memoirs. Nat. Acad. of sciences, 5 (1905), pp. 91-113.