Natural History

Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley – Autobiographies – edited by Gavin De Beer.

A first edition published by the Oxford University Press in 1974. Octavo, 199 pages, plus useful index, illustrated. Very nice condition.

Darwin and his bulldog together in condensed highly readable form. What better pairing – like peaches and cream.

The editor was one of the many Darwin admirers, wrote a good biography and several other Darwin related works. So it was appropriate that he took the editorial pen to Darwin’s lengthy account of himself … adding Huxley from a far more obscure personal rendition was a masterstroke of compare and contrast

Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley – gold plated “Two for One”

$30.00

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The Malay Archipelago -The Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise, with Studies of Man and Nature – Alfred Russel Wallace

Wallace’s great book dedicated to Charles Darwin. Beautifully written. An early fourth edition published by Macmillan in 1872. Nevertheless scarce and sought after.

Octavo, 653 pages. Re-cased at some time with the spine and front laid down; with the desired Orang-utan gilt device retained on front and similarly bird of paradise retained on front. Some marks near front but generally in good condition. Priced to condition for a scarce desirable item.

Wallace collected over 125,000 specimens identifying thousands of new species during this expedition. This book represents the backbone of his discoveries (The Wallace line) that supports the “Origin of Species”. Well illustrated with maps and engravings

Wallace – Monumental work – vies with “Origin”

$270.00

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A Manual of the Birds of Australia – Gregory Mathews and Tom Iredale.

Described as Volume I but there only ever was one volume. Scarce work led by the guru of Australian bird life Gregory Mathews. Tom Iredale ex British Museum was effectively employed by Matthews on this and Mathews massive illustrated work. Some believe that much attributed to Mathews was in fact done by Iredale.

Published by Witherby, London in 1921. Quarto, 279 pages, top edge gilt, ten coloured plates and 36 monochrome plates. Some light spotting on page edges, very good complete dust jacket which is a rarity.

Private library stamp of Harold W Tarr a distinguished Australian ornithologist with a number of published works and papers.

This volume covers the orders Casuarii to Columbae. The illustrations nicely done by Lilian Medland, the wife of Tom Iredale. A comprehensive work of some distinction as those in the know would expect.

Important Australian Orinthological Work – Mathews and Iredale 1921

$240.00

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Black Swan – George Shaw – 1808

An original copper engraving of the Australian Black Swan.

Engraved in copper by Eastgate and published by G Kearlsey of Fleet street, London on October 1st 1808 – dated in the plate. It was published as part of the great George Shaw’s Zoological Lectures which were performed at the Royal Institution the following year.

A good strong engraving, 210mm by 125 mm. paper showing a little age but really a very good example of this very early Black Swan image.

Proud Black Swan done well.

$120.00

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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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Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley – Autobiographies – edited by Gavin De Beer.

The Malay Archipelago -The Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise, with Studies of Man and Nature – Alfred Russel Wallace

A Manual of the Birds of Australia – Gregory Mathews and Tom Iredale.

Black Swan – George Shaw – 1808

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

The Passenger Pigeon – by Joseph Quinn.

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