The first edition in four volumes (1836–1840) is very rare because Holbrook attempted to destroy all copies in a bonfire in his backyard over unfavorable criticism of the colored plates.

He explained the circumstances which led to the new edition in his "preface," here reproduced in part: "The great delay in the publication of the Ichthyology of South Carolina has been caused by the destruction of all the plates, stones, and original drawings in the burning of the 'Artists' Buildings,' in Philadelphia, several years since.'

The artistic efforts of Richard were superseded by the superior results of Ibbotson and Sonrel, both excellent artists trained under Agassiz, and T. Sinclair's lithographic establishment of Philadelphia was selected for reproducing the illustrations instead of Tappan & Bradford's of Boston the printing was done by Welch, Bigelow and Company, of Cambridge, in place of Metcalf and Company, and the publishers were "Russell & Jones," in succession to "John Russell," of Charleston, S. C."[8] He was eccentric in several ways.

The Doctor one day, whilst dissecting the digestive apparatus of a young alligator, called this boy to hold the parts for him, so as to keep the fibers stretched.

Just as the Doctor was most interested in tracing some minute muscular fibers, the boy cried out, ' I am going to faint,' and altered the position of his hand, and thus interrupted the dissection at a most important point.

When the forces of the Union took possession of Charleston, the medical college in which his collections were preserved was taken for hospital purposes, and his specimens were wantonly thrown away or seized upon for what they were supposed to be worth; his books were stolen, and finally his drawings and manuscripts were lost or destroyed.

An old man now, bereft of most of his fortune, discouraged by adversities, and recognizing that a new order of scientific procedure had begun, he reluctantly ceased to even plan for his work.

[11] In the early fall of 1871 (8 September), stricken by apoplexy, saw the end of life, at his sister's residence in Norfolk, Massachusetts, "breathing his last amidst kind and devoted relatives.