Die Ctenophoren des Golfes von Neapel und der Angrenzenden Meeres-Abschnitte. Eine Monographie . . . Herausgegeben von der Zoologischen Station zu Neapel.

Leipzig:: Wilhelm Engelmann, 1880., 1880. Series: Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel. Large 4to. XVIII, 313, [1] pp. Series title with vignette, 22 figures, 18 plates (some folding, some in stunning lithography featuring a black background), each plate with printed leaves adjacent, tissues. Original half black morocco, purple cloth, gilt-stamping, raised bands and gilt compartments, marbled endleaves, foot of spine shows the ownership initials D.L.E.[or F, or P? – the last letter is partly rubbed away], ink-ms. paper shelf-label/location applied to spine; inner joints strengthened with cloth. Very nice copy. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED & PIONEERING STUDY OF MARINE CTENOPHORES. First and only edition of this rare monograph written by a pioneering Carl Chung, who became a leading marine biologist of his day. This work is also beautifully designed and printed with lithographic plates featuring black backgrounds (suggesting the darkness of the sea) and delicately illustrated. / "In 1877, Chun spent several months in Naples, at Anton Dohrn's Zoologischen Station Neapel, a very popular destination for biologists at the time (see Dolan, 2023). In Naples, he devoted himself to the study of ctenophores, organisms typical of the delicate gelatinous zooplankters easily destroyed in plankton nets. Chun's first publication on marine plankton was his "Habilitation Dissertation". The "Habilitation" was a terminal diploma allowing immediate academic appointment as "Privatdocent", who was paid for giving lessons, but more importantly, it was a qualification to be appointed eventually as a university faculty member (Goldschmidt, 1956). Chun's Habilitation Dissertation was on the anatomy of ctenophores, and like his Ph.D. dissertation, it was published first as a booklet (Chun, 1878) and then as an article (Chun, 1879). Chun's first monographic study, also on ctenophores, followed soon after. Entitled "Die Ctenophoren des Golfes von Neapel", it was a very large work composed of 313 pages of text and 18 plates (Chun, 1880). It was volume one of the famous series, the Flora und Fauna des Golfes von Neapel . . . Today, Chun is recognized as one of the early experts who elucidated the anatomy and development of siphonophores (e.g. Mackie et al., 1988). Recognized as an expert on gelatinous zooplankton, Chun would later author the Plankton Expedition reports on both siphonophores (Chun, 1897) and ctenophores (Chun, 1898)." – Dolan. / Chun was initially drawn to Carl Vogt (1817-1895) in 1882. Vogt was then Professor of Zoology and Geology at the University of Geneva. His work in Nepal also deeply interested Chun. It was Vogt's daughter Lilli, whom Chun would marry in 1884, and together they had two girls. I obtained this copy of Chun's work through a Swiss contact who had it in the family for a long time. There can be only a couple of reasons why someone would have a book like this in their collection, so I don't think it too presumptuous to suggest that either a family member of Vogt or a student in Geneva should have been the original owner of this copy. The only evidence of prior ownership is at the foot of the binding where the initials D.L.E.[or F, or P?] are stamped in gilt, suggesting ownership with those initials that date from the late 19th century. One of the girls, Lili, married Dr. Ernst Pringsheim Jr. (1881-1970), and it is not too distant to see a possible D.L.P. as the ownership of the book – could it be? / Dr. Carl Chun [Karl] (1852-1914), zoologist and deep-sea researcher, was a professor at the universities of Konigsberg (1883) and Leipzig (1878). He was recognized as a specialist in ctenophores and squid. Chun used to take vacations on the Mediterranean to perfect his fishing techniques for pelagic marine animals. This is how he was in the region of the Gulf of Naples, Italy. In 1881 Chun was elected a member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina. REFERENCES: DOLAN, John R. "Pioneers of plankton research: Carl Chun (1852–1914)." Journal of Plankton Research, Volume 45, Issue 6, November/December 2023, Pages 777–784. (Inventory #: S14264)