Scientific Instruments, Specimens, Books and Collectables

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1909 [Important papers on Aboriginal Language and Aboriginal Tools – Tronattas]

Printed at the “Examiner” Launceston this is a set of papers of special interest as they include papers by Fritz Noetling “A Peculiar Group of Tronattas”, “Rocks used in the Manufacture of of Tronattas” and “Notes on the Names given to Minerals and Rocks by the Aborigines of Tasmania” – and, by Hermann Ritz “The Speech of the Tasmanian Aborigines”.

There are other paper by the then prolific Noetling regarding the use of Red Ochre, glacial bed at Wynyard. Others present on botany and botanist, fossil trees, geology, the anatomy of Megapodes.

Original soft wrappers, 199 pages, nicely illustrated from scientific sketches, early photographs, tables etc – some fold out. Very good condition.

Noetling was a German born mining engineer and at this stage was an Officer of the Society. He has previously worked in India and produced a similar body of work there. His large collection of Tasmanian Tronattas is held by the Liepzig museum. Unfortunately, after the outbreak of WWI he was interned and after the war sent back to Germany.

Ritz was Swiss and taught foreign languages in Hobart. His paper could well be of very special interest as it focuses on the sounding of the Tasmanian Aboriginal language not just the word list … pretty interesting we believe.

Special papers of Aboriginal interest – well wroth preserving.

$90.00

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Fossil Fern – Lune River Tasmania – Early Jurassic Forest circa 182 million years old.

A nice slice of petrified tree fern from the Lune River area deep in the southern reached of Tasmania.

The dating of the examples in this location to the middle of the early Jurassic Period (182 Ma) was by isotopic measurements on zircons found in the volcanic sandstone hosting the fossils (Bromfield et al 2007). Also refer the excellent guide by P. Manchester.

Weighing 70gm and 16cm by 5cm.

This region is the area of the world where these plants developed. Twelve tree paratypes (arborescent) ferns and one bracken-like (rhizomatous) fern have been studied in the region. All of the tree ferns belong to the genus Osmundacaulis. This example shows clear and tight trachioles

These plants evolved in this region, the Australian portion of Pangea, all that time ago. Gradually they have spread elsewhere and appear in North-west USA … examples were only discovered in Eurasia in the year 2000.

Nice part section of a fossil tree fern from Jurassic Tasmania .

$60.00

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Chrysocolla [Copper Silcate] – Kumarina – Western Australia

Chrysocolla, such a beautiful colouring. A hydrated copper silicate from the oxidation zone around copper deposits. Likely from the Peak Hill’s region Kumarina copper mine which closed down in the 1970’s.

A beautifully example 8.0cm by 6.5cm, 2.0cm deep, weighing 130.0gm

Chrysolcolla a nice Western Australian example

$30.00

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Environmental Change in the Sub-Antarctic -Proceedings of the Second International Forum on the Sub-Antarctic – Hobart April 2009

Perfect bound, softcover, 118 pages, illustrated throughout, some colour, a very good copy.

Published in the December after the conference this is the Proceeding of the Royal Society of Tasmania, representing Volume 143 Parts I and II.

Part I features … Climate trends at Macquarie Island; Exploitation of the marine ecosystem; Biological systems at Prince Edward Island; Terrestrial vegetation changes at Macquarie and Heard islands; Invasive species etc

Part II features … Orchids of Macquarie island; Freshwater diatoms; Antarctic vignettes Shackleton; Foraminifera ad paleoenvironment of Late Pleistocene sands, White Rock Point, Southeastern Tasmania; HMS Beagle in Tasmanian waters.

We particularly like the foram papers by Quilty et al … the site being round South Arm … and the tracking of the Beagle is up right up our street … or Ocean.

Antarctic forum – wish we had been there.

$35.00

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Grandfather Clocks and their cases – Brian Loomes

A first edition of this classic work published by David & Charles Newton Abbot, London in 1985.

Largish quarto, 352 pages, illustrated throughout. A very good if not better copy. Heavy, unsuitable for Overseas postage, subsidised by Voyager in Australia.

Brian Loomes was a Yorkshireman and new more about clocks than anybody. The book contains images of some of the greatest clocks the likes of which will surely never be made again. Now a collector’s book and maybe for the digitally challenged.

Classic clocks for clock lovers – tick tock

$80.00

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Rare Microscope Slide by Harry Webb – Transverse Section of Mistletoe – c1860

Harry Webb (1816-1866) was a professional mounter who lived in George Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham England. His initials are embedded in the custom-made decorative slide papers.

A nice transverse section of the mistletoe stem.

There is a brief reference to Harry Webb in the key work by Brian Bracegirdle – Microscopical Mounts and Mounters (page 100) and an unattributed example (Page 39-P). we have this information from a later reviewer who knows their stuff – but we struggle to agree that the example shown in the book is from HW.

Webb’s work featured in several international shows and he is thought to have been awarded at least one prize. He was recommended by top line microscope makers. Unfortunately, something went very wrong and he took his life drinking phenol – which would not be a nice way to go.

Rare maker with definitive slide papers – 165 years old!

$40.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1909 [Important papers on Aboriginal Language and Aboriginal Tools – Tronattas]

Fossil Fern – Lune River Tasmania – Early Jurassic Forest circa 182 million years old.

Chrysocolla [Copper Silcate] – Kumarina – Western Australia

Environmental Change in the Sub-Antarctic -Proceedings of the Second International Forum on the Sub-Antarctic – Hobart April 2009

Grandfather Clocks and their cases – Brian Loomes

Rare Microscope Slide by Harry Webb – Transverse Section of Mistletoe – c1860

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