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Natural History

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A Monograph of Nototherium Tasmanicum – H. H. Scott – 1915

Published in 1915 in Tasmania researched and written by H.H. Scott Curator of the Museum at Launceston.

Published by the Department of Mines as part of the Geological Survey Record No 4. A fine copy, 47 pages plus 22 full page plates in super condition. Cloth backed boards as published.

The Author acknowledges the early assistance of the great Professor T.W. Edgeworth David of Antarctic fame.

The discovery of a large extinct marsupial

Superb copy and rare and unusual

$70.00

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The Passenger Pigeon – by Joseph Quinn.

No date comb bound copied item published circa 1990, see below. This was its original form – self published by the author.

Subtitled “A Boys Story” but not a story for Boys, in fact a compilation of the writings of the author, many of them, published in Bird World … and all about the demise of the Passenger Pigeon.

We learn that the last pigeon a female was given the name of Martha, after George Washington’s wife … the second last Passenger Pigeon, her brother, named George … naturally. We like this unusual work not just for its obvious rarity but the love of the writer for his subject. The Boys story is a reference to him finding his childhood scribbles about the subject matter.

96 pages in all, some images from the magazine that have not copied too well. Cream card covers.

A total of 20 separate articles, all of some length, published variously between 1982 and 1987.

Inserted on posh faux vellum paper is a poem written by the author in honour of the sadly retired bird; rather well penned and definitely moving.

Joseph Quinn – his life’s work on the Passenger Pigeon all in one place.

$40.00

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The Living Sea – John Crompton

A first edition of this interesting easy to read book about the natural history of the oceans. Quite broad in content … starts with prehistory and then moves into Whales (nice content), Manatee, Sharks, Rays back to Caelacanth .. all the good stuff.

Published by Collins, London in 1957. Octavo, 256 pages, some sketch like illustrations. And the dust jacket … we had to have it just for

Good period all rounder dressed to impress.

$25.00

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Matto Grosso – Waclaw Korabiewicz

A peculiar and enchanting travel book about a bird hunting expedition to the Matto Grosso in South America. Watch out for the piranhas!

Translated from the original Polish. Octavo, 238 pages published circa 1958 by the Travel Book Club, effectively Jonathan Cape, London. A lovely clean copy with the striking jacket designed by Leslie Wood.

Parrots and Piranhas

$30.00

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William Buelow Gould – Convict Artist of Van Diemen’s Land – Garry Darby

Published in 1980 by Copperfield as part of the Art Library.

Large quarto, 136 pages, illustrated not only the plates of artwork, which are magnificent but also in the lengthy introduction about the artist and his work. A fine copy.

William Gould (1803-1853) arrived in Hobart in 1827. Whilst he is known to have been at time a drunken and rebellious convict his work in totality describes a complex individual who undoubtedly had a love for nature.

This is the first effective catalogue of the known works of Gould. Unusual for the period and Australia principally a still life artist (how can you not admire the cat with the fish that grace the jacket) but also luminous landscapes and characterful portraits of Aboriginal people. The biographical details comprise the first eighty pages.

William Gould now a much admired and more understood convict artist.

$60.00

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Australian Eastern Shovelnose Ray – by Shaw & Nodder – 1791

Very early copper engraved hand coloured engraving of the Australian Eastern Shovelnose Ray (Aptychoterma Rostrata) which you can find along the coast from Newcastle in NSW to the Far North in Queensland, more prevalent around the Barrier Reef. Very good condition original 18thC colouring.

A medium sized ray with a long flattened triangular snout, wedge shaped disk and shark like tail. Sexually dimorphic dentition – the males have elongated carps on their anterior teeth that allow them to grip the female during mating … ouch.

George Shaw oversaw the Natural History Department at the British Museum. Nodder was a natural history artist and worked for Banks on his Florilegium.

Price unframed $90.00 or $190.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style.

Very early Australian Fish Engraving

$90.00

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