of the illustrations in Yarrell's books were very high, because he could afford to employ Thompson and his sons, the best wood engravers in London. William Swainson suggested to Yarrell that he should produce separate proofs of the illustrations and have them coloured as a profitable additional venture, but Yarrell refused. There were practical problems in that the blocks were set in the proofed text, and that, if separated, the heavy extra printing demand would wear out the wooden blocks, especially without the protection of the surrounding metal type. Yarrell also objected on principle to the prints being sold separately. The book was originally published in 19 parts, each priced at 2/6d (12.5p). The last part contained an index. The publisher of Yarrell's books was John Van Voorst, whose business was in Paternoster Row, a street central to the London publishing trade. He began to specialise in natural history publications and was appointed official bookseller to the London Zoological Society in 1837. Van Voorst often visited Yarrell's house, and joined him to shoot and fish around London. He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society and a founding fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, established in 1839. Publication dates Three editions and three supplements were published by Van Voorst. 1835-36 Two volumes published in 19 parts, 226 species described and figured and 140 vignettes. Volume 1, 408 pp., volume 2, 472 pp. 1839 Supplement, 27 new species. Volume 1, 48 pp., volume 2, 78 pp. 1841 Second edition. Two volumes containing 263 species and 500 figures. Volume 1, 464 pp., volume 2, 628 pp. 1859 Posthumous third edition, two volumes, edited by Sir John Richardson. In this edition, the text was preceded by a "Memoir of William Yarrell" and a list of his publications. Volume 1, 679 pp., volume 2, 673 pp. 1860 Second supplement to first edition, edited by Sir John Richardson, also being the first supplement to the second edition, 71 pp. Reception Publications writing contemporary positive reviews of A History of British Fishesincluded The Athenaeum, The Gentleman's Magazine, Leigh Hunt's London Journal London Medical Gazette and The Scots Times. There was a generally appreciative reception from Yarrell's fellow naturalists, too. Prideaux John Selby, an ornithologist and natural history artist, wrote to Jardine after receiving the first part to say how impressed he was with the beautifully executed woodcuts and the quality of the printing, and later, when