34 pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Dublin: W. Porter, 1809.

First edition and quite rare. Richardson (1740-1820), political activist and geologist, devoted his final years to agricultural research. He “experimented with sixteen grasses, as described in An Elementary Treatise on the Indigenous Grasses of Ireland (1806). From 1808 he was a zealous advocate of fiorin grass (Gaelic fioreann) (Agrostis stolonifera L) as food for animals, a preventive of famine, and a means of abating the poor laws. He believed it to be the most nutritious of grasses, with the advantages... More

Six finely engraved plates, three of which are aquatints & four are skillfully hand-colored. 90 pp. Folio, cont. marbled boards (minor foxing). Berlin: J.F. Unger, 1804.

First edition of this beautifully illustrated work; it is quite rare, and WorldCat locates no copy in North America. This is an account of the notable caves and other important geological features of the area around Muggendorf near Erlangen in Bavaria. Rosenmüller (1771-1820), was professor of anatomy and surgery at the University of Leipzig and a gifted artist of fine anatomical illustrations for his medical works and geological drawings for the present work.

While... More

1 p.l., 20 pp. Small 4to, attractive half-calf & marbled boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine, several lower edges uncut. London: S. & B. G[riffin] for N. Brooke, 1671.

First edition and a nice copy. This work has been attributed by many to Sir John Pettus (ca. 1613-85), natural philosopher and politician, but this is probably erroneous. Sainfoin is a highly nutritious plant, which served as an important forage for livestock.

“A most interesting little book…whoever wrote it knew what he was talking about, and had evidently made himself thoroughly acquainted with the peculiarities and value of... More

1 p.l., 32 pp.; 1 p.l., 10 pp.; 1 p.l., 5, [1], 7-15 pp. Three parts in one vol. 8vo, orig. wrappers, orig. block-printed title-label on upper cover. From printed label pasted on inside of lower cover (partly in trans.): Aichi Prefecture: Mikawa shiryo kanko kai, printed in 70 copies, 1936.

First edition and a rare provincial printing, limited to 70 copies only. Sato (1762-1848), was a leading honzo scholar and writer on agricultural matters. He advised a number of fiefdoms throughout Japan on modern agricultural techniques. The first two parts of this work print Sato’s hitherto unpublished writings on... More

Engraved frontis. port. of the author, two folding engraved plates (numbered “I” and “III”), & two folding printed tables. 7 p.l., 276 pp., one leaf of errata. 8vo, cont. speckeld boards (spine worn). Munich: J.B. Strobl, 1786.

First edition of this rare epistolary account of Schrank’s scientific field trip throughout Bavaria in 1784 and 1785. While Schrank devotes a good portion of the text to botanical observations, he also provides descriptions of the towns and cities visited, the geology and most remarkable natural features of the area, the monasteries, local customs, etc. The twelfth letter contains a learned account of... More

412 pp., [4] pp. of publisher’s ads & errata. 8vo, orig. grey boards. Erlangen: J.C. Schubart, 1801.

First edition of an uncommon book; WorldCat locates no copy in the U.S. Devoted to natural history and zoology, this is one of Schrank’s textbooks written for university students.

Fine copy from the Wittelsbach library of the dukes and kings of Bavaria. With a long three-page A.L.s dated 25 April 1801 from Schrank presenting this copy to the Duke of Bavaria. More

55 pp. 8vo, orig. grey boards. Ingolstadt: J.W. Krüll, 1792.

First edition of this uncommon book on plant irritability and movement, phenomena which so interested Linnaeus, Erasmus Darwin, and his grandson Charles Darwin.

Fine copy from the Wittelsbach library of the dukes and kings of Bavaria.

❧ Stafleu & Cowan 11109. More

Finely engraved frontis., an attractive engraved vignette on title, & three folding engraved plates. 8 p.l. (incl. frontis.), 157, [3], 120, [8] pp. Two parts in one vol. Large 4to, cont. half-sheep & speckled boards, spine gilt, contrasting leather lettering piece on spine. Halle: Buchhandlung des Waysenhauses, 1752.

First edition of this extremely comprehensive work. “The 1st edition of an extensive 18th-century German treatise on the cultivation, processing, commerce, and use of woad (Isastis tinctoria L.) in Thuringia. The aim of the writer was to promote the production of woad in Thuringia for the economic benefit of the region. The... More

Two full-page richly hand-colored paintings of the mushroom. 24 folding leaves. 8vo (278 x 197 mm.), orig. decorated wrappers, new stitching. [Japan]: copied after 1850.

A near-contemporary manuscript copy of Suigetsu’s Sakikusa ko, published in 1850; this is an early account of the lingzhi or reishi mushroom.

“Ganoderma lucidum, an oriental fungus, has a long history of use for promoting health and longevity in China, Japan, and other Asian countries. It is a large, dark mushroom with a glossy exterior and a woody texture. The Latin word lucidus means “shiny” or “brilliant” and refers to the varnished appearance of... More

[Florence: ca. 1763].

This handsome manuscript, prepared for presentation to Emperor Francis I (1708-65), Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, is a beautifully written contemporary fair copy of the original holograph manuscript now in the Museo Galileo (formerly the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence), compiled by Targioni-Tozzetti (1712-83), the great natural historian, librarian, director of Florence’s botanical garden, and professor of botany. He was, after Spallanzani, the most active Italian naturalist of the 18th century.

Emperor Francis I, the husband of Maria Theresa, was well-known for his interests in the natural sciences and... More

80; 78 folding leaves. Two vols. Small 4to (ca. 270 x 200 mm.), Vol. I: orig. gray wrappers (wrappers rather rubbed & a little frayed); Vol. II: orig. green semi-stiff wrappers, orig. stitching. [Japan]: 1841.

Two magnificent sketchbooks of natural history drawings by Tsubaki Chinzan (1801-54), “a member of the Corps of Spearmen of the Tokugawa shogunate. Like many educated samurai of his time, who spent their leisure time in intellectual pursuits, Chinzan devoted himself to painting, quickly acquiring a considerable reputation. He studied under Kaneko Kinryo, Tani Buncho, and finally Watanabe Kazan, with whom he formed a.... More

15 folding lithographed plates (three handcolored). xvi, 631, [1] pp.; xiv, 1104 pp. Two vols. 8vo, cont. half-sheep & marbled boards (lower joint of Vol. I partly cracked but strong, minor foxing), spines gilt. Karlsruhe: C.T. Groos, 1829-32.

First edition of one of the most extensive introductions to mineralogy and geology of the period. Walchner (1799-1865), was professor at the University of Freiburg and, in 1825, was appointed professor of mineralogy, geology, and chemistry at the Polytechnic of Karlsruhe. He wrote many books and articles.

“Very scarce. A technical treatment of mineralogy designed to be sufficient for the isolated amateur... More