First edition, first printing. xxxii, 394pp, two colour plates with captioned tissue-guards. Blue cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering front and spine. 8vo. Cloth is a little pushed at spine ends, a little rubbed on corners and unevenly faded, including a light sunned spine. A little toning around edges of endpapers otherwise internally neat, clean and tight.
Seok (1908-1950) was a Korean lepidopterist who made a major contribution to the taxonomy of Korean butterflies. His 'list' was first published in 1939 with sponsorship from the British Royal Asiatic Society (the first Korean to receive such support). Over his life he collected over three-quarters of a million butterfly samples, marking their locations on maps. He remained in Seoul at the outbreak of the Korean War to protect his collections and maps: his collection of samples was totally destroyed by fire but, with the help of his sister, his marked maps were smuggled out of the city and eventually published after his death.
