Finely engraved frontis. port. of the author & eight folding engraved plates. Five vols. 8vo, fine cont. mottled calf (a few minor defects), flat spines gilt, red morocco lettering pieces on spines. Paris: Maradan, 1797.

Second edition, corrected, and enlarged. This edition expands the sections on mineralogy and petrology from two volumes to four. First published in 1795, this is the author’s chief work, which enjoyed considerable popularity among his contemporaries; it was founded for the most part on Werner’s teachings. “Taking a broad cosmogonical view of creation, Lamétherie regarded the major features of the earth as the result of... More

“LV. Conjectures concerning the Cause, and Observations upon the Phaenomena of Earthquakes; particularly of that great Earthquake of the First of November, 1755, which proved so fatal to the City of Lisbon, and whose Effects were felt as far as Africa, and more or less throughout almost all Europe” in the Philosophical Transactions, Vol. LI, Part II. For the Year 1760, pp. 566-634. One folding engraved plate. 4to, antique calf, spine gilt, red & green morocco lettering pieces on spine. London: L. Davis & C. Reymers, 1761.

First appearance of the first modern work on seismology. Michell (1724-93), was a.... More

Woodcut of Saxon coat-of-arms on verso of title. 24 unnumbered leaves (final two leaves blank). Small 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste-paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Wittenberg: G. Müller for P. Hellwichs, 1596.

First edition of a most interesting book in which Person, the longtime city doctor of Rochlitz, gives a scientific description of the local stone — Rochlitzer porphyry — which has been mined on the Rochlitzer Berg for many centuries and used for building (bricks, facades, and tiles) and sculptures but also as a constituent of many medicines. Person describes numerous recipes using the... More

Six folding engraved plates. 1 p.l., xvi, 322 pp.; 1 p.l., 238 pp. Two vols. 8vo, cont. marbled boards, orange & pale blue lettering pieces on spines. Lausanne: J. Mourer, 1789.

First edition. Razoumovsky (1759-1837), a wealthy Russian aristocrat, spent most of his life in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy and wrote many noteworthy works on geological and mineralogical subjects (see Zittel, pp. 91 & 119).

“Very scarce…First and only edition of an illustrated account of the fauna and geology of the Swiss Jura, in the vicinity of Neuchâtel, Murten and Biel, northwest of Bern…The first volume describes the fauna according... More

x, 557, [1] pp. 8vo, cont. green sheep-backed green boards maroquiné, single gilt fillet round sides, flat spine gilt. Sion: A. Advocat, 1812.

First edition of this uncommon account of the mountainous canton of Valais (then known as the “département du Simplon”) in Switzerland. Schiner, a physician on the medical faculty at Montpellier, describes the geography, natural history, most notable buildings, costumes, cuisines and wines, commercial activities, roads, climate, structure of government, the mountains and glaciers, forests, etc., etc. The author also discusses the prevalence of goiter amongst the population, along with other diseases common to the canton.

Fine copy... 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