Wallace, A.R. Island Life. Or the Phenomena and causes of Insular Faunas and Floras.
1st. Ed. Pub. Macmillan, London. 1880 pxvii, 526 with a hand-coloured map. Royal 8vo. Originally a W.H.Smith and Son’s subscription library copy, the only indication being their partly removed label to ffep and a neat repair to the title-page. Scattered, light foxing at ends o/w. contents in fine condition. Original publisher’s binding, internal hinges strengthened, with boards gently rubbed and bumped. A thor. vg. copy.
The forward thinking W.H.Smith & Son’s subscription Library operated from 1860 to 1961 with the objective that ‘it embraces all the most important Works of History, Biography, Travel, Fiction, Poetry, Science and Theology, as well as the leading magazines and reviews’. It is highly likely that following its publication in 1880 this copy went straight into the subscription service.
£750.00 [ref: 42943]

view all images for this item

Wallace, Alfred Russel. Darwinism. An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of its Applications.
1st. Ed. Pub. Macmillan. 1889 pp.xvi, 494 with portrait photographic frontis. of Wallace plus 37 text illus., colour fold-out map plus 2-pages of Publisher’s adverts. 8vo. Hardback. Prov : With the charmingly illustrated bookplate of John Fowles (1926 - 2005), author of ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman, to ffep. Further charming bookplate to front pastedown and a signature to verso of ffep. With the minor exception of some spotting to the frontispiece’s tissue guard the contents are exceptionally clean and fine. Original green cloth binding, lettered in gilt to spine, in nr. fine condition.
A most pleasing copy of Wallace’s work in support of Darwinism with some very interesting provenance.
£1,200.00 [ref: 70715]

Wallace, Alfred Russel. The Malay Archipelago. The Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of Travel, with Studies of Man and Nature.
New Ed. Pub. Macmillan. 1890 pp.xvii [iii], 515 with b/w. frontis., illus., and two colour fold-out maps. Crown 8vo. Hardback. Contents very clean, sharp and in nr. fine condition. Original green cloth boards, inconspicuously restored and in near fine condition.
Amorial bookplate and signature of Sir Arthur Fenton Hort, Baronet (1864-1935); signature of S. Stillman Berry (1887-1984), American marine zoologist and renowned Malacologist; and bookplate of Bryan Sage (distinguished Naturalist).
£600.00 [ref: 55953]

view all images for this item

Walton, I. & Cotton, C. The Complete Angler; or, Contemplative Man’s Recreation: Being a Discourse on Rivers, Fish-ponds, Fish, and Fishing.
2nd. Bagster. Ed. Pub. R. Watts. 1815 pp.514 with portrait frontis., plates and illus. 8vo. Hardback. Some scattered foxing to contents, small label removed from verso of frontis., o/w. contents fine. More recently rebound in green cloth boards, with original spine-title relaid, in fine condition.
£175.00 [ref: 42105]

view all images for this item

Weston Bell, E. The Scottish Deerhound. With notes on its Origin and Characteristics.
1st. Ed. thus Pub. Peregrine Books. 1990 pp.[x], [viii], 138 with 16 plates plus further illus., and 20-page publisher’s catalogue. Large 8vo. A total of 131 numbered copies were sold (from a total print run of just 250 copies) pre-publication to subscribers and these people are listed within. This copy is No. 112 and was purchased by H. & F. Crawley, Nova Scotia, Canada. Four tiny spots and one small mark o/w. the contents are in fine condition. Bound in green cloth with gilt decoration to front board in nr. fine condition. A super copy.
£200.00 [ref: 66466]

Weston Bell, E. The Scottish Deerhound. With notes on its Origin and Characteristics.
1st. Ed. thus Pub. Peregrine Books. 1990 pp.[x], [viii], 138 with 16 plates plus further illus., and 20-page publisher’s catalogue. Large 8vo. A total of 131 numbered copies were sold (from a total print run of just 250 copies) pre-publication to subscribers and these people are listed within. This copy is No. 25 and was purchased by E.M. Krähenbühl, Switzerland. Contents fine. Bound in green cloth with gilt decoration to front board in fine condition. A super copy.
£200.00 [ref: 67756]

White, Gilbert. The Natural History & Antiquities of Selborne & A Garden Kalendar. Edited by R. Bowdler Sharpe.
Ltd. Ed. Pub. S.T. Freemantle. 1900 Two volumes. With many plates, illustrations and vignettes. Crown 4to. Edges untrimmed as published. TEG. Bound in original stiff vellum boards - spine of volume 1 rebacked, preserving most of the original; a 4cm split to vellum at top of rear external hinge. Otherwise, bindings in vg. condition. Internal hinges in fine condition. Gilt embossed, hand coloured coat-of-arms to front boards. Very minor amount of foxing, o/w. contents in fine condition. Limited edition of 160 sets, this being no.67. Signed by Bowdler Sharpe and the artists.
This edition is beautifully illustrated by three of the leading illustrators of the period, namely J.G. Keulemans, Herbert Railton, Edmund J Sullivan. Further, this edition contains Gilbert White’s Naturalist’s Kalendar first published in 1795.
£400.00 [ref: 36807]

view all images for this item

White, Gilbert. The Natural History and Antiquites of Selborne. In the County of Southampton: With Engravings and an Appendix.
1st. Ed. Pub. London by T. Bensley; For B. White and Son. 1789 pp.v, 468 plus 12 page index and one-page errata. Complete with fold-out engraved frontis., engraved half-title and seven further plates (one fold-out). 4to. Hardback. Plates show some spotting and off-setting, minor paper flaw to fold-out plate. Very minor spotting elsewhere, o/w. contents exceptionally clean and fine. More recent handsome half-calf over marbled boards, with decoration and gilt lettering to spine. A very pleasing copy.
£2,500.00 [ref: 60385]

view all images for this item

White, Rev. G. The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, in the County of Southampton. Edited by Thomas Bell.
1st. Ed. Thus Pub. van Voorst. 1877 Large paper issue. Two volume set, half-titles, 9 plates (two fold-out) plus wood engraved vignettes. Royal 8vo. Hardbacks. AEG. A trivial amount of spotting, o/w. contents in fine condition. Fine contemporary green morocco leather binding by Francis Bedford (1799-1883) spines richly decorated in gilt, French fillet borders gilt to covers, inner dentelles gilt, all in superb condition. An exceptional set.
Zoologist and dentist, Professor Thomas Bell (1792-1880) purchased Gilbert White’s home The Wakes in 1844. Bell took a very keen interest in White and he edited two volumes of the ‘Natural History and Antiquites of Selborne’ publishing it in 1877. Bell discovered rare natterjack toads under grass in the Ha-ha at The Wakes.
£1,500.00 [ref: 58318]

view all images for this item

Willsford, Thomas. Natures Secrets. Or, the Admirable and wonderful History Of the generation of Meteors.
1st. Ed. Pub. for Nath. Brook at the Angel in Cornhill, London. 1658 pp.[xiv], 199, [i] with full-page woodcut illus. on p.150 plus 8-pages of publisher’s adverts. Small 8vo. Hardback. Frontis. removed, some headlines just clipped. Minor worm trail, and early, light coloured mark to bottom corner c.20 leaves, o/w. contents nr. fine. Early quarter leather over marbled boards in good condition, cords exposed at front hinge, text block firm and fine.
First edition of this rare Aristotelian cosmology and explanation of comets and meteors, dedicated to Lady Stafford.
£1,500.00 [ref: 62132]

view all images for this item