LAMBE, LAWRENCE M.
The Cretaceous Theropodous Dinosaur Gorgosaurus
Ottawa, Government Printing Bureau: 1917
- $473
ONE OF THE BEST DESCRIPTIONS OF ANY TYRANNOSAURID FIRST EDITION, 7 engraved folding plates, 4 heliotypes, 38 text illustrations, original grey printed wrappers, ink stamps of the Geological Society of London to the upper wrapper and title, ownership stamp of William P. Ogilvie to the upper wrapper, spine slightly toned, hinges reinforced with tape, 8vo, Ottawa, Government Printing Bureau, 1917 First edition of this important and copiously illustrated monograph that was one of the first publications to illustrate a dinosaur in non-standing positions. Canadian palaeontologist, Lawrence Lambe, "was one of the first dinosaur hunters to discover the richness of the Red Deer River beds in Alberta around the turn of the century, but he was not an avid field worker, and he moved on to become Chief Paleontologist for the Geological Survey of Canada." (Paper Dinosaurs) His published work, describing the diverse and plentiful dinosaur discoveries from the fossil beds in Alberta, did much to bring dinosaurs into the public eye and helped usher in the Golden Age of Dinosaurs. Gorgosaurus libratus (now Albertosaurus) was first described by Lambe in 1914, from a well-preserved skeleton from today's Dinosaur Provincial Park. He followed it up in 1917 with this work, considered one of the best descriptions of any tyrannosaurid. Lambe supplemented his thorough description with photographs of the field excavation, a drawing of the fossil as found, and a full skeletal restoration. However, the most innovative part of this work is a set of four very faint pen drawings showing the life of Gorgosaurus in standing, sitting, feeding and lying positions. The drawings, done by Arthur Miles under Lambe's direction, were among the first to show a dinosaur in positions other than the standard standing posture. Additional species of Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus were described by Parks (1928) and Gilmore (1946). A very good copy of a scarce work, important in the history of dinosaurs. Provenance: Geological Society of London William P. Ogilvie [A New Carnivorous Dinosaur from the Lance Formation of Montana, Gilmore, 1946; Paper Dinosaurs 36, Ashworth]
More from Bruce Marshall Rare Books
Memoir on the Pearly Nautilus (Nautilus Pompilius, Linn.) with illustrations on its external form and internal structure.
London, printed by Richard Taylor, . First edition., 1832. Pp. (4), 2-68; 8 full page monochrome lithographed plates (15 total lithographs,many are two-page). 4to (293 x 232 mm), original purple cloth, paper label. Owen's First Monograph. According to DSB X, p. 261, "The attention of the scientific community was first focused on Owen in 1832 when he published Memoir on the Pearly Nautilus. which was based on a single specimen of this delicate organism that was previously known only by its shell. In this superb piece of descriptive anatomy he also modified Cuvier's Cephalopoda and proposed two orders that were considered valid until 1894." The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite
Second Edition, published same year as the first, 23 Woodburytype plates, 1 chromolithograph plate, heliograph frontispiece laid down, numerous text illustrations, original publisher's blue cloth, gilt vignette to top board, slightly rubbed, spine a little faded, corners rubbed, 4to, London, John Murray, 1874 This scarce work is most notable for its photographs of the moon's surface. This was achieved by Scottish astronomer, James Nasmyth, sketching the moon's cratered and mountainous surface from observations he made over thirty years. He then built plaster models based on the drawings, and photographed these against black backgrounds in raking light, to "produce most faithful representations of the original." Nasmyth's technique sidestepped the technical limitations of astronomical photography in order to achieve the detail he required. He likely adopted the method from his father, a well-known Scottish landscape painter who used plaster models as studies for his paintings. The book was among the first to be illustrated with photo-mechanical prints, which were lauded byone of the book's contemporary reviewers as among the most 'truthful and striking representations of natural objects' ever encountered by a student of science. The first three editions include a variety of processes including; engraving, photogravure, heliotype, lithograph, chromolithograph, and four different variations of the woodburytype. It is likely that the first two editions, published simultaneously, were partly experiments into which reproduction method was best. This seems to have been deemed the woodburytype as the third edition is composed entirely of woodburytypes. The Moon also includes numerous examples of the kinds of schematic diagrams that were more routinely used to illustrate scientific texts. These engravings chart astral trajectories, outline hypothetical cross-sections of the planet's subterranean layers, and reveal the mechanisms by which Nasmyth and Carpenter believed that ancient volcanoes must have moulded the lunar surface. The book's combination of different image-types and reproductive technologies enabled it to convey more extensive and varied information, while also strengthening its claims to scientific 'truthfulness'. The diagrams, outline drawings, and photo-mechanical illustrations enable the viewer to plumb the moon's depths and scale its heights, to examine it at close range and also chart its course through the cosmos. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
FIRST EDITION, first issue, half title, light foxing throughout, publishers red cloth, gilt title to spine and top board, spine a little sunned, 8vo, London, John Murray, 1927. Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) famous for his creation of Sherlock Holmes. A prolific writer, his works include detective fiction, fantasy and science fiction, spiritualism, plays, poetry, romance and history. Though not the first fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes is undoubtedly the best known. Conan Doyle attempted to kill his most adored character off in 1893 with 'The Final Problem' but due to popular demand he brought him back in 'The Hound of the Baskerville' in 1902. The character and stories have had a profound and lasting effect on mystery writing and popular culture as a whole. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes is the final set of twelve Sherlock Holmes stories. Like the rest of the work, they were first published serially in The Strand Magazine, between October 1921 and April 1927. This is his last published book and very last of the Holmes series. Journal of the Proceeding of the Late Embassy to China; Comprising A Correct Narrative of the Public Transactions of the Embassy, of the Voyage to and from China, and of the Journey from the Mouth of the Pei-Ho to the Return to Canton.
FIRST EDITION, engraved portrait frontispiece, 7 hand-coloured aquatints, 3 engraved maps, 1 folding, light browning to final map, occasional light foxing, old owners signature of H.W. Vincent to title, armorial bookplate and signature to pastedown, contemporary half calf over grey boards, rebacked, original spine laid down, 4to, for John Murray, 1816 First edition of this account of the short lived embassy to China. Sir Henry Ellis (1788-1855) was a career diplomat who joined the East India Company in 1805. In 1815 the English Government sent an envoy, under the command of Lord Amherst, to go to Peking to negotiate with the Emperor Kea K'ing on behalf of the British subjects suffering under his rule. In 1816 Ellis joined the mission as Third Commissioner. Ellis was unimpressed by the Chinese, whom he considered xenophobic, ultra-tradition, and uninteresting. The mission ended in failure after Amherst refused to 'kow-tow' (nine strikes of the forehead on the ground) to the emperor. On the return voyage their ship, the Alceste, was wrecked off the coast of Sumatra. Ellis and his companions were rescued by an open boat. The ship stopped at St. Helena and allowed Ellis the opportunity to interview Napoleon Boneparte. Napoleon later disputed Ellis's account of the meeting. On the journey out, the Alceste had visited Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Java, and Macao. A mission to China was then so rare an event in Europe that Ellis's 1817 account of the voyage was authorised. The detailed aquatint plates were prepared by J. Clark from the drawings of Ellis' friend Charles Abbot. Provenance: Henry William Vincent was a Clerk in the Treasury (1813-23) and Queen's Remembrancer of the Exchequer (1823-55) [Tooley 208; Abbey, Travel 536; Cordier 239304; Hill 542; Prideaux pp 250-1, 335;] Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, one pp of advertisement at the front, rebound in maroon cloth, title in gold along spine, 8vo, London, Longmans, Green and co., 1886 One of the most famous Gothic Novella of the 19th Century, with such a great impact the 'Jekyll and Hyde' has entered our vernacular. The conception of the book is famous, coming to Stevenson in a dream. Fanny, Stevenson's wife, woke him believing he was having a nightmare. "He said angrily: "Why did you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogey tale." I had awakened him at the first transformation scene"[Balfour, biographer] He wrote the first draft with incredible speed, completing it in a matter of days. As always, his wife offered criticism in the margins, which included an observation that this was actually an allegory. Stevenson allegedly burnt his original manuscript in response and began re-writing it as an allegory. After being published it was released as a Penny Dreadful in the US 4 days before it was available in the UK. This work wasn't successful in Britain until the review by The Times on the 25th of January 1886. Although Stevenson was originally drawn to the horror of the tale, he became intrigued with how human personalities reflect good and evil. As such his contemporary demographic was more concerned with art and theology than with fiction. Since the year it was published, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has been a staple for the stage, and eventually the screen. Chronicles of the Sea: or, Faithful Narratives of Shipwrecks, Fires, Famines, and Disasters Incidental to a Life of Maritime Enterprise; Together with Celebrated Voyages; Interesting Anecdotes, Etc. Etc.
A complete run of the weekly numbers, 119 parts, bound in 2 vols., each part with woodcut vignettes, vol. 2 pp.378-406 and 426-464 misbound but complete, contemporary half sheep over marbled boards, handsomely rebacked, preliminary leaves slightly soiled, 4to, W. M. Clark for M. Moore, 1838-40. "The perils of the deep may be considered the greatest evils which men can possibly endure" A Very Scarce Work. Chronicles of the Sea was published every Saturday from the 6th of January 1838 until the 18th of April 1840. Each issue describes some tragedy or horror experienced at sea, with the title narrative illustrated in a woodcut vignette. The work covers all types of mariners, including whalers, smugglers, merchant sailors and navy ships. The manner of the misfortunes can range from encounters with pirates to encounters with ghosts; being stuck in pack ice or being marooned on desert islands. Some of the articles are first hand accounts taken from log books, or in the case of Captain Richard Falconer, written specifically for the Chronicle. However, many describe important and infamous historical figures and their ventures. Two issues are dedicated to the retelling of the Mutiny on the Bounty, one of the most well known mutinies that ever occurred in the British Royal Navy. On the 28th of April 1789, master's mate Fletcher Christian, along with eighteen mutineers, took control of the Bounty and cast the captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and eighteen of his men adrift in the Pacific Ocean in a small boat. Bligh, a skilled navigator, managed to navigate the small boat west across the Pacific using a couple of navigational instruments and two books containing mathematical, astronomical and geographical information. They undertook a voyage of 3618 nautical miles to return to England. The shipwreck of the Medusa, immortalised in the famous painting 'The Raft of the Medusa' by Theodore Gericault, is reported in detail. In June 1816, an inexperienced captain ran the Medusa aground off the coast of West Africa. Due to a shortage of lifeboats, a makeshift raft was built to hold 147 people, mostly the lower classes and a handful of crew. The lifeboats briefly towed the raft until, in an act of cowardice and cruelty, the captain cut it loose to drift away. When the raft was found thirteen days later, only fifteen of the original 147 had were still alive. They had resorted to murder and cannibalism to survive. Several issues are dedicated to the exploits of Captain William Dampier, one of the most important British explorers and buccaneers of the 17th century. Dampier was the first Englishman to set foot on Australia, and the first man to circumnavigate the world three times. Among his many extraordinary achievements, Dampier mapped the winds and the currents of the world's oceans for the first time. In the second volume there is an extensive memoir of Lord Nelson, and articles covering the Battle of Trafalgar, anecdotes of Nelson and coverage of his memorial service. Many other famous navigators and explorers adventures are described, including Privateer Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Defoe's Robinson Crusoe; French explorer La Perouse; and mathematician Richard Norwood, who surveyed Bermuda. This is a rare and interesting work. The British Library and The National Library have complete sets. WorldCat mentions 5 other institutions with vol. 1 only. Limits and Renewals
FIRST EDITION, half title, title ruled in red, text block clean, publishers red cloth, gilt elephant emblem on top board, printed tan wrapper, spine a little toned, slight chipping to wrapper head, T.E.G., 8vo, London, Macmillan, 1932 Limits and Renewals is a collection of short stories almost all of which were previously published in periodicals. "The Tie", "Aunt Ellen" and "Unconventional Mercies" were first published here. The other fifteen tales include "The Debt", "Dayspring Mishandled", "A Naval Mutiny", "Akbar's Bridge" and "Fairy-Kist". Many of these tales are directly inspired by Kipling's childhood in India and his subsequent return in his early twenties. The most famous piece in this collection is 'Dayspring Mishandled', acknowledged to be one of Kipling's finest tales. The Invisible Man
FIRST EDITION, title in red and black, occasional light thumbing, published red cloth, title and author stamped in gilt, device in black, spine lightly faded, slight shelf lean, light toning to front free endpaper, inner hinge starting to crack, 8vo, London, C. Arthur Pearson, 1897 The famous science fiction novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, later the same year it was published in book form. Well's inspiration from the story is diverse, including both 'The Perils of invisibility' from Bab Ballads by W.S. Gilber and Plato's Republic. The character of Griffin, a scientist who turns himself into an invisible man but is unable to turn himself back, has become an iconic character in horror fiction. "The cultural pervasiveness of the invisible man has led to everything from his cameo in an episode of Tom and Jerry to the Queen song The Invisible Man." [Allen Grove, Alfred University] The History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands: Translated from a spanish manuscript, lately found in the Island of Palma
FIRST EDITION, 3 engraved maps (1 folding), slight offsetting, occasional light foxing, contemporary calf, spine gilt, red morocco label, spine head and tail repared, 4to, London, for R. and J. Dodsley, and T. Durham, 1764 George Glas was a competent translator and observant seaman. Glas translated Abreu de Galindo s manuscript regarding the voyage of Jean de Bathencourt, the French explorer known as the conqueror of the Canary Islands. This is the first of the three parts the work contains. The second is an ethnography of the indigenous populations and their language, the third is a description of the archipelago. Glas attempted to make a settlement on the coast of Africa between Cape Verde and Senegal. Later he was imprisoned by the Spaniards at Teneriffe for contraband trading, and to cap the series of misfortunes he was killed in a mutiny on board ship while returning home to Scotland (Cox I, p.384). [Sabin 79] The Natural History of Staffordshire
Oxford The Theatre, 1686.First edition. Folio (350 x 230 cms) Full contemporary panelled calf,rebacked,pp.xiv,450pp,+10pp index.two ll list of subscribers bound at end, Engraved title page,Dedication, Large folding engraved Map, 37 engraved plates of which 26 are double page or folding, and mostly of the Great Houses of the County, and their Gardens the other plates illustrate curiosities and natural phenomena without the usually missing heraldic plate. A fine unpressed copy. Robert Plot, 1640-1696, was born at the family home of Sutton Barne in Borden Kent. He was educated at Wye and then at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, graduating with BA in 1661, MA in 1664, DCL in 1671. His research interests were primarily concerned with the study of natural history and antiquities in England. He began his study for a multi-volume work in Oxfordshire, where he was living at the time, which resulted in the publication in 1677 of The Natural History of Oxford-shire, being an essay towards the Natural History of England .Subsequently, in 1683, he was appointed Professor of Chemistry and the first Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford. Plot's second volume in the series of natural histories, The Natural History of Stafford-shire was published in 1686, his investigation of Staffordshire having been instigated at the invitation of Walter Chetwynd of Ingestre Hall. Plot dedicated the Natural History of Staffordshire to James II and in 1688 was subsequently named Historiographer Royal. His ambition to continue the multi-volume series for all England was however, never realised. Plot's work on Staffordshire combines scientific enquiry with local folklore to provide an intriguing account not merely of the county's natural history, but also its geology, pre-industrial manufacturing and culture during the 17 th century. The selected chapters available for access from The Natural History of Staffordshire include: Chapter 3; Of the Earths ,Chapter 4; Of the Stones , Chapter 5; Of Formed Stones and Chapter 9; Of the Arts . Chapter 3 is of particular interest to ceramic historians, in its description of pre-industrial pottery manufacture in Staffordshire Upcot 1172 Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History. Volume I, Parts IV and V. Part IV. A Complete Mosasaur Skeleton, Osseous and Cartilaginous. Part V. A Skeleton of Diplodocus.
FIRST EDITION, First Printing, 7 photographic plates on glossy paper, 1 folding diagram, numerous text illustrations, leaves unopened, original grey wrappers, title printed in black, faint toning to spine and extremities, folio, New York: The Knickerbocker Press for the American Museum of Natural History, 25th October, 1899. A scarce first edition of Osborn's proposal that the Diplodocus may be regarded as relatively nimble and able to raise itself up onto its two hind legs with the aid of its long tail. First discovered in 1877, the Diplodocus, like other sauropods, was believed to be a semi-aquatic creature who resided in swamps. The ones who made it onto land were shown in displays and illustrations as big, slow reptiles. This work describes a partial Diplodocus skeleton unearthed in Wyoming's Como Bluffs by Barnum Brown and J. L. Wortman in 1897. Established using this skeleton, Osborn challenged the theory that Diplodocus were "ponderous and sluggish", writing "This view may apply in a measure to Brontosaurus. In the case of Diplodocus it is certainly unsupported by facts" (p. 213). To him, the posterior half of the tail looked well-suited to supporting the weight of Diplodocus when it reared up on its hind legs. That Diplodocus was capable of such activities was made clear by the relatively lightness of its skeleton compared to other saurapods. "This power was certainly exerted while the animal was in the water, and possibly also while upon land" (p. 213). Modern research has confirmed Osborn's assumptions, showing that Diplodocus's musculo-skeletal structure probably allowed it to rear up on its hind legs with relative ease. Palaeontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857-1935) was president of the American Museum of Natural History for twenty-five years, during which he oversaw significant work on the discovery, description, and naming of new dinosaur species discovered in western North America, most notably Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Albertosaurus, and Ornitholestes. As an administrator Osborn put new emphasis on museum displays, making them more visually appealing and accessible, though he also incorporated his profoundly racist and eugenicist views into the ones he designed for the Museum of Natural History. An excellent copy. An unusually fresh and attractive copy, the contents unopened. [Linda Hall Library, Paper Dinosaurs 1824-1969]- $405
- $405
The Silurian System, Founded on Geological Researches in the Counties of Salop, Hereford, Radnor, Montgomery, Caermarthen, Brecon, Pembroke, Monmouth, Gloucester, Worcester, and Stafford; With Descriptions of the Coal-Fields and Overlying Formations
MURCHISON, RODERICK IMPEY, SIR (1792-1871). "PROBABLY THE GREATEST WORK EVER TO BE PUBLISHED EMBODYING THE RESULTS OF A SINGLE PIECE OF RESEARCH BY ONE MAN." London: John Murray, 1839. with The Silurian Region and Adjacent Counties of England & Wales Geologically Illustrated. London: J. Gardner, [1839]. Engraved map in 3 large sections with linen backing. FIRST EDITION, 3 volumes, large 4to (260 x 330mm), half calf, map in slip-case. with 56 plates, views and maps, including 12 hand-coloured geological profiles, numerous text illustrations. With the Rare and Important Hand-Coloured Geological Map on Three Sheets. "THE GREATEST WORK EVER TO BE PUBLISHED EMBODYING THE RESULTS OF A SINGLE PIECE OF RESEARCH BY ONE MAN. This work detailed and established practically the whole succession of the stratigraphical formations and their fossil contents (and associated igneous rocks) of what we now know as the Ordovician and Silurian systems, in their type areas" (Challinor 141). Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, born in Tarradale, Ross-shire, Scotland is the geologist who first established the geologic sequence of Early Paleozoic strata (the Paleozoic Era began 542 million years ago and ended about 251 million years ago) In 1831 he was elected president of the Geological Society, after serving as secretary for five years. In that same year he began his studies of the Early Paleozoic rocks in South Wales. His findings were embodied in the monumental work The Silurian System (1839). Following the establishment of the Silurian System, Murchison and Sedgwick founded the Devonian System, based on their research of the geology of southwestern England and the Rhineland. Murchison then went on an expedition to Russia and wrote, with others, The Geology of Russia in Europe and the Ural Mountains (1845). In 1841 he proposed the establishment of the Permian System (strata 299 million to 251 million years old), based upon his Russian explorations. Murchison was knighted in 1846, and in 1855 he was appointed director general of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and director of the Royal School of Mines and the Museum of Practical Geology, London. He prepared successive editions of his work Siluria (1854; 5th ed. 1872), which presented the main features of the original Silurian System together with information on new findings. In addition, he fought unsuccessfully against the splitting of his original Silurian System into three parts: the Cambrian Period (about 542 million to 488 million years ago), the Ordovician Period (about 488 million to 444 million years ago), and the Silurian Period (about 444 million to 416 million years ago). In 1871 he founded a chair of geology and mineralogy at the University of Edinburgh, and in his will he provided for the establishment of the Murchison Medal and Geological Fund, to be awarded annually by the Geological Society. Among the Subscribers were Charles Darwin and Sir John Herschel. Nissen ZBI 2944. BM(NH) III, 1380; Challinor 141; Dibner Heralds 97; Norman 1569; J.C. Thackray 'R.I, Murchison's Silurian System (1839)' in J. Soc. Biblphy nat. Hist. (1978) 9 (1): 61-73; Ward & Carozzi 1620.- $12,839
- $12,839
Metallotheca. Opus posthumum, auctoritate, & munificentia Clementis undecemi PontificisMaximi ex tenebris in lucem eductum; Opera autem, & studio Joannis Mariae Lancisii. illustratum. Cui accessit appendix cum XIX. recens inventiis iconibus.
MERCATI, MICHEL First edition, First issue. Rome, ex officina: Jo. Mariae Salvioni , 1717, folio (384 x 248 mm), pp [x, including half-title and frontispiece] xiii-lxiv 378 [18] with engraved frontispiece, portrait of Mercati , 6 engraved plates of which 2 are double-page, 139 engravings in text (several full-page), and engraved vignettes on title, 2 initials and one tailpiece; a large, and exceptionally clean copy, with only a few pages with browning that usually affects this work, Contemporary half vellum, plain sides, small chip at bottom of the spine, an excellent copy. First edition, First Issue of the first catalogue of the first significant European mineralogical museum. This is one of the most attractive 'museum' books ever published, with excellent engravings of fossils, minerals, statues, etc. Mercati (1541-1593), director of the Vatican botanical garden, had prepared this catalogue of the Vatican collection of fossils and minerals, assembled under the aegis of Pope Sixtus V, as early as 1574, although some 150 years elapsed before Lancisi edited and published this work. Besides Mercati's text, Lancisi discovered the original copper-plates for the engravings, which are printed here for the first time. The collection, 'one of the most important such collections in Europe' (Torrens, Theorigins of museums), contained minerals, fossils, classical statues, palaeolithic tools, and various other natural and man-made artefacts exhibiting the general property of 'stoniness'. As a record of an important renaissance palaeontological museum, Mercati's work is of great significance, even though his views on fossils are typical: he believed them to be lusus naturae, and in fact illustrates, side by side, Glossopetrae (fossilised sharks' teeth) with the famous depiction of a shark's head with teeth, commenting that one should not be deceived by their apparent similarity. Mercati did understand the artefact nature of palaeolithic stone tools, at the time generally held to be products of lightning bolts. It is fitting that Mercati, the great cataloguer of 'stones', suffered from bladder and kidney stones which contributed to his death; his autopsy, possibly done by his mentor Cesalpino, revealed 98 stones. One of the engravings in the text illustrates bladder stones extracted from Pope Pius V. 'The Vatican collection consists of a series of cabinets with drawers, or 'armaria', in which are housed collections of earths, salts, alums, gums and resins, marine products, ores, fossils, marbles, and other objects collected by Mercati. The plates can scarcely be equalled for fidelity to originals and the exquisite care employed in their engraving and printing' (Sinkankas, Gemology, an annotated bibliography). The frontispiece, depicting the presentation of Mercati's Metallotheca to Clement XI, is by Jakob Frey after Pietro Bianchi. The portrait of Mercati is by Benoit Farjat after Pietro Nelli's copy of Tintoretto's original. Most of the plates of antique statues in the Marmora section are by Vincenzo Franceschini and Louis Gaumier, in part after G.D. Campiglia. The majority of illustrations in the text are from the original sixteenth-century plates prepared for Mercati, printed here for the first time. Hoover 582; Cobres p. 107 n 20; Sinkankas 4390; Ward and Carozzi 154- $11,487
- $11,487
The Birds of South Africa.
LAYARD, EDGAR LEOPOLD London,Bernard Quaritch, 1875-1884--New Edition. Thoroughly Revised and Augmented by R. Bowdler Sharpe. Second & Best Edition, Large 8vo, with 12 hand-coloured lithographed plates, some light spotting, edges untrimmed in original half Morocco. Edgar Leopold Layard (1824 1900) was a British diplomat and a naturalist mainly interested in ornithology and to a lesser extent the molluscs. He worked for a significant part of his life in Ceylon South Africa, Fiji and New Caledonia. He studied the zoology of these places and established natural history museums in Sri Lanka and South Africa. Several species of animals are named after him. He arrived in the Cape in 1854 to take up a post in the Civil Service, and was appointed to the Colonial Secretary's office. Recommended by the Governor of the Cape, Sir George Grey, he took charge of the Museum collection in his spare time which he transformed into The South African Museum. Layard was the Curator until 1872, when he was succeeded by Roland Trimen. His interests were more ornithological and conchological than mammalian, but he was also an enthusiastic collector of invertebrates as well as vertebrates. Minerals, fossils and ethnological material were also accepted and displayed. He believed that the Museum should have "something for everybody" and followed this principle throughout his curatorship. He realized the need to place his collections before the public and the displays he set up, usually with his own hands, were well received. In 1865 he found an extraordinary whale stranded near Cape Town and although it was thought to be a new genus at the time, it still retains layardii as its specific name, and is known as Layard's Beaked Whale, (Mesoplodon layardii). Fine Bird Books, p.115; Mendelssohn I, p.872; Nissen IVB 524; Wood, p.428; Zimmer, p.378],- $1,149
- $1,149
The Game-Birds and Water-Fowl of South Africa.
HORSBRUGH, MAJOR BOYD. London: Witherby & Co., 1912. First edition, 4to (239 x 176mm.) 67 plates in colour. Original half-morocco over green cloth, five raised bands, lettered in gilt, g.e. From the preface: 'In this volume I have endeavoured to give descriptions of the Game-Birds and Water-fowl found within South African limits - that is to say, south of a line drawn through the Zambesi River from east to west. With regard to the habits of many species, I am greatly indebted to Serg. C.G. (Finch) Davies, Cape Mounted Riflemen, whose excellent field work has been of the greatest help to me. All notes referring to Pondoland and Griqualand have been communicated to me by him.'- $743
- $743
The Naturalist’s Library
JARDINE, SIR WILLIAM Edinburgh & London, WH Lizars, [1833-43], 40 vol., small 8vo (180 x 110mm) fine half calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, with engraved portraits and titles, c.1280 plates, mostly hand-coloured. 6 vols have the hinges repaired. Jardine's Wonderfully Illustrated Work of Natural History. Jardine was born on 23 February 1800 at 28 North Hanover Street in Edinburgh, the son of Sir Alexander Jardine, 6th baronet of Applegarth and his wife, Jane Maule. He was educated in both York and Edinburgh then studied medicine at Edinburgh University. He made natural history available to all levels of Victorian society by editing the hugely popular forty volumes of The Naturalist's Library (18331843) issued and published by his brother-in-law, the Edinburgh printer and engraver, William Home Lizars. The series was divided into four main sections: Ornithology (14 volumes), Mammalia (13 volumes), Entomology (7 volumes), and Ichthyology (6 volumes); each prepared by a leading naturalist. James Duncan wrote the insect volumes. The artists responsible for the illustrations included Edward Lear. The work was published in Edinburgh by W.H.Lizars. The frontispiece is a portrait of Pierre André Latreille. Nissen ZBI 4708; Wood, p.405; Zimmer, p.326- $7,433
- $7,433
A Nearly Complete Articulated Skeleton of Camarasaurus, a Saurischian Dinosaur from the Dinosaur National Monument, Utah [and] Osteology of Ornithopodous Dinosaurs from the Dinosaur National Monument, Utah – Extracted from Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol. X. No. 3, pp.347-410. Issued July 10, 1925
GILMORE, CHARLES W. THE MOST PERFECT SAUROPOD SKELETON EVER DISCOVERED Rare Offprint, 6 plates (including 1 folding), unopened, original printed wrappers, folio, Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Museum, 1925. This offprint was previously bound in an over-sized card binding applied by a library, with the upper and lower wrapper each having an additional stiff paper backing applied. The card binding has been removed by Bainbridge Conservation, who professionally conserved the spine with tissue, but the staff paper backing on the wrappers has been left intact. Some loss from the corners of the original wrappers, especially the upper wrapper, but not affecting text. Camarasaurus is one of the most famous and abundant sauropod dinosaurs found in the Late Jurassic-age rocks of the Morrison Formation, which the dinosaur National Monument is famous for. Six skulls, the largest skulls of all the sauropods, and three nearly complete skeletons have been discovered at the historic Carnegie Quarry in the Dinosaur National Monument. The most well-known specimen is the subject of this work. The nearly complete juvenile specimen still holds the title for the best preserved and most complete sauropod skeleton ever found. Collected between 1919 and 1920, it has been on exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History since 1924, and replicas can be seen in numerous museums. Author, Charles W. Gilmore, describes the specimen in detail, and provides a photo of the fossil as it was found and later as it was displayed. The articulation of the bones allowed Gilmore to conclude Camarasaurus did not have its highest elevation at the shoulders, but rather stood highest at the hips, like Apatosaurus and Diplodocus. A Very Scarce Off Print [Fantastic Camarasaurus (from Dinosaur National Monument) and Where to Find Them, Hunt-Foster, Ashworth, Paper Dinosaurs 40]- $473
- $473
[Six Bunches of Flowers in Vases] A Suite of Emblematic Florilegium Engravings
DE BRY, JOHANN THEODORE; after KEMPENER, JACOB Set of six engraved plates numbered I-III [-IV-VI], featuring bouquets in ornate vases, surrounded by insects, and one snail, engraved mottos on scrolls beneath, plate size 288 x 255mm, each mounted separately, [Cologne, engraved and produced by Johann Bussemecher after Theodor de Bry, 1604] An Extremely Rare Complete Suite Of These Attractive And Beautifully Engraved Emblematic Images Of Bouquets In Striking Baroque Vases, With Mottoes. These images were originally commissioned and engraved by Theodor de Bry after a series of paintings by the floral artist Jacob Kempener. De Bry's prints were innovative in introducing the subject into the graphic media. In all of them the flowers are arranged in such a way as to establish a strong degree of lateral symmetry: what Bergstöm called the 'radial composition' (Bergström, 1973). The verse mottos run through the declensions of the Latin word for flower, Flos, and seem to comment on the arrangements depicted tender buds for tender youth, wilting blooms for age, etc. It is interesting that different kinds of meanings are attributed to the flowers, they are not just monotonously to remind us of our mortality. The series was published in Frankfurt c.1600, with the first engraving titled Polyptoton de Flores (The Variations of Flowers). The present set was re-engraved in reverse (excepting the inscriptions) in Cologne by Johann Bussemecher. [New Hollstein, IV 43; De Jong and De Groot, Ornamentprenten in het Rijksprentenkabinet I (1988), n 355.]- $8,784
- $8,784
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication.
DARWIN, CHARLES London John Murray 1868, 1868. 2 volumes. First edition, First issue, with five-line errata in Vol. I and seven-line errata in Vol. II, advertisements and 43 engraved illustrations. tall 8vo, original green cloth gilt lettered and decorated on the spines, decorated in blind on the covers. viii, 411, publisher's catalogue; viii, 486, ads. A very bright and clean copy. "This represents the only section of Darwin's big book on the origin of species which was printed in his lifetime and corresponds to its first two intended chapters. It contains, in Chapter xxvii, his provisional hypothesis of pangenesis; one which he thought was new, buthas a long back history" (Freeman 877). The second part of his 'big book' was not published until 1875, under the title Natural Selection. It was in this work that Darwin attempted to finalise the understanding of pangenesis and an explanation of acquired characteristics and hereditary resemblance. These subjects were near to impossible to explain in Darwin's time as scientific methodology and technology had simply not developed to the point at which finite and provable studies on genes and chromosomes could be explored. Freeman 877- $3,379
- $3,379
