Arcana, or, The Museum of natural history: containing the most recent discovered objects embellished with coloured plates ..., volume one [all published].

London: Printed by George Smeeton for James Stratford, [1810]- 1811.
Octavo, 84 handcoloured engraved plates with tissue-guards and accompanying text leaves. Contemporary half calf and marbled boards with some wear, titlepage dust-soiled with small ink-marks near lower edge and loss to upper fore-corner, plate of Elephant with small tear to fore-edge margin, occasional minor marking, but overall plates in very good condition, rare.

The Arcana was issued in monthly parts between 1810-1811, the whole work split into sections of Zoology, Ornithology, Entomology, Ichthyology, Conchology (for which Perry was mostly known), Amphibia and Botany, followed by various articles including an extract relating to Mungo Parke's travels in Africa. Sixteen Australian animals are figured including the first illustrations of the Koala and Brolga. "The Arcana is technically interesting too, as its glowing plates were printed with variously coloured inks to suppress their outlines" (Petit).

The Arcana has now been given the recognition it deserves with the publication of an excellent facsimile by Richard Petit. A survey of known copies by Scott Jordon identifies 32 copies of which only 13 are complete and 24 are in institutions.

Ferguson 524; Nissen 3133; Wood p. 517.

See also Mathews and Iredale, Perry's Arcana-an overlooked work. Vic. Nat. volume 29, 1912 and Petit, Richard E. Perry's Arcana: a facsimile edition with a collation and systematic review. Philadelphia: 2009.