Dear Paul et al.,

I have the third edition of this work.  It had undergone rather extensive
revision between the first and second iteration. Anyway, the third was
edited by Isao Taki, retitled ["An illustrated handbook of shells in
natural colors" (spine); "An illustrated handbook of shells in natural
colors from the Japanese islands and adjacent territory" (title page;
conforms to the previous owner's marginalia along Japanese version of title
page)], and published in 1954.  It has 130 plates with facing caption
pages, xxvii of introduction (about 40% is English translation of preceding
Japanese text), and 124 more pp., which include indices (Japanese and
Latin) and a phylogenetic recap of all treated taxa with plate and figure
references.  From what I have seen (and what little I have been able to
read), it is a sound piece of work.

As for technique, Hirase's "printing blocks" (having survived incendiary
bombing of WW II) were used, as was "the highest technique."

The preface indicates that the first edition was published in 1934, the
second in 1951.

Paul C. has more to say than this, I am certain.

Harry


dHiAt 07:42 PM 1/19/00 -0800, you wrote:
>On the subject of Japanese shell books: Does anyone have any information
>about a book in my possession Titled "A Collection of Japanese Shells" by
>Shintaro Hirase published in 1934 ? The book has tissue between color plates
>and has an index and text in both Japanese and English. I am especiially
>interested how the color plates were made . They  are still in very good
>condition and appear to have faded very little.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Masashi Yamaguchi <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 10:53 PM
>Subject: Re: Japanese shell book
>
>
>> The first edition of Kira's book was published in 1954 and it was revised
>in
>> 1959. My copy was
>> printed in 1972 (18th printing of the 2nd edition) and has a picture of
>> Spondylus on its cover (and two strombids on the box cover). This
>> represented our standard reference book for Japanese shells for three
>> decades after the first edition was published.
>>
>> Masashi Yamaguchi
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:   Patty Jansen [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent:   Wednesday, January 19, 2000 2:51 PM
>> To:     [log in to unmask]
>> Subject:        Japanese shell book
>>
>> I recently acquired a copy of this book in a second hand library (with the
>> three Cymatiums on the front cover). Whereas it seems there is only
>> Japanese text, my copy has a title page mostly in English. It says:
>> Coloured illustrations of the Shells of Japan by Tetsuaki Kira 1955, Osaka
>> Japan. As for the rest of the book, there are many colour plates (quite
>> unusual for a book that old), and the text is in Japanese, but at least,
>> as
>> Tucker Abbott used to say 'the latin is in English'
>>
>> Patty
>> WWW: http://www.capricornica.com
>>
>> Capricornica Publications               on-line natural history bookshop
>> P.O. Box 345
>> Lindfield NSW 2070
>> Australia
>>
>> phone/fax: 02 9415 8098 international: +61 2 9415 8098
>> mobile 0412 865030
>>
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Harry G. Lee
Suite 500
1801 Barrs St.
Jacksonville, FL 32204
USA   904-384-6419
<[log in to unmask]>
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/~wfrank/jacksonv.htm

oo  .--.  oo  .--.  oo  .--.
 \\(____)_ \\(____)_ \\(____)_
  `~~~~~~~` `~~~~~~~` `~~~~~~~`