Natural History

Vintage Microscope Slide – Pollen from the Antarctic

Nice condition, quality mount of an unusual subject – Pollen from the Coast of the Antarctic.

Nice deep mount with well preserved coloured mount rings. We are unsure who the preparer was but would suggest they must have been a professional given the mount is in such good shape. The hand written label looks familiar to us but we still cannot pick the preparer.

The location likely in the area immediately south of South America … as these pollen samples would have started life in warmer climes.

Unusual Antarctic Microscope Slide

$40.00

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Australian Mammals – Trade Cards over 100 Years Old

A group of six brightly coloured trade cards by Liebig advertising their delightful food products. Printed and issued from 1904-1910.

Six delightful card chromolithographs of 1 the dingo and spotted quoll 2. the echidna and the Tasmanian devil 3. The wombat and the Tasmanian tiger (Buidelwolf) 4. The sea elephant and sea lion 5. Fruit bats looking for fruit 6 the kangaroo rat and the wallaby. 0cms x 7.3cms.

Price $80.00 the group

A nice early set of mammals with the desired no longer living Tasmanian Tiger

$60.00

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Silvester Diggles – Australian Birds – Pied Honey-eater, Slender-billed Spine-bill and the White eye-browed Spine-bill

Rare original hand-coloured lithograph by Queensland naturalist Silvester Diggles. Published as part of his magnificent work “”The Ornithology of Australia” between 1866 and 1870 in twenty-one parts by Pugh of Brisbane, in a very limited edition. By the time part sixteen was published there were only 92 subscribers. The original plates were executed by Diggles and his niece, Rowena Birkett.

The work measures 38cm by 27cm, good hand colouring pretty clean with just the odd surface mark. A really scarce item.

Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) artist and musician born in Liverpool, England. He came to Australia in 1853 settling in Brisbane where he taught music and drawing. Diggles was a founder of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Philharmonic Society in 1861 known as “the father of music in Brisbane”. Diggles was also a founder of the Queensland Philosophical Society and helped establish the Museum. His greatest work was The Ornithology of Australia. However it nearly sent him broke. His health deteriorated worry about finances being a factor. He died at Kangaroo Point in 1880.

Price $240.00 unframed

An opportunity to own a rare original bird print by Queenslander Silvester Diggles

$190.00

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Paradise Quest – A Naturalist’s Experiences in New Guinea – Lee Crandall – First Edition 1931

First Edition published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York in 1931. Octavo, 226 pages, 52 illustrations from period photographs … some really special ones.

Crandall was the Curator of Birds at the New York Zoological Park. This is an excellent account of his travels in Papua New Guinea. He journeys up the back of the Owen Stanley Range, meets the Mekeo and Kuni people, the latter being excellent bird catchers. Visits Deva-deva and many Birds of Paradise are seen. Mountain climbs, hidden villages and friendly cannibals (the best type) are all par for the course.

Numerous birds identified include the Sun Bird, New Guinea Pitta, Macklot Pitta, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Lawes’ Six-plumed Bird of Paradise and the Prince Rudolph, Count Raggi’s, Long-tailed, King Birds of Paradise and, several Bower Birds and the Bonaparte Flycatcher and, many more …

Excellent naturalist’s account – Papua and Birds

$50.00

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Antique Microscope Slide – Human Fleas – E Bryan c1900

A very nice example prepared by E Bryan Optician of Manchester, England [Not in Bracegirdle]. Bryan operated at the premises in 24 Cross Street c1900. The slide carries his label and a brief subject description.

Male and female examples of the human flea .. that is male and female fleas not fleas of male and female for the grammatically and scientifically challenged.

The Human Flea (Pulex Irritans), an interesting Latin name, is happy on a number of hosts not just humans. It was thought to have originated on South American Guinea Pigs. The female burrows into the flesh particularly around the feet and ovulates internally.

The first single flea image is the female and the second the male

Antique He and She Flea

$60.00

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Seven Professionally Prepared Antique Microscope Slides – Botanicals – by W. Watson

A fine collection of antique ring mounted botanical specimens. Comprising …

Leaf of Tea Tree
Leaf of Aloe ferox
Leaf of Laurel
Leaf of Tobacco Plant
Stem of Ribes
Lime Tree section
Lea bud of Ash

Some super examples with very minimal specimen degradation as can be seen from the images.

William Watson set up as an optician in 1837. He took up premises at 313 High Holborn, London in 1862. The business became W Watson & Sons from 1882. They took over the slide preparation business of Edmund Wheeler in 1884 and from them were to become one of the most successful preparers. These slides are circa 1900, though the Lime Tree is earlier and carries the distinctive Watson cursive style specimen label of the 1880’s.

Note tray not included slides will be sent in protective special purpose containers.

A good group of early quality mounts by Watson

$120.00

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Vintage Microscope Slide – Pollen from the Antarctic

Australian Mammals – Trade Cards over 100 Years Old

Silvester Diggles – Australian Birds – Pied Honey-eater, Slender-billed Spine-bill and the White eye-browed Spine-bill

Paradise Quest – A Naturalist’s Experiences in New Guinea – Lee Crandall – First Edition 1931

Antique Microscope Slide – Human Fleas – E Bryan c1900

Seven Professionally Prepared Antique Microscope Slides – Botanicals – by W. Watson

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