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Natural History

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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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The Living Sea – John Crompton

A first edition of this interesting easy to read book about the natural history of the oceans. Quite broad in content … starts with prehistory and then moves into Whales (nice content), Manatee, Sharks, Rays back to Caelacanth .. all the good stuff.

Published by Collins, London in 1957. Octavo, 256 pages, some sketch like illustrations. And the dust jacket … we had to have it just for

Good period all rounder dressed to impress.

$25.00

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Matto Grosso – Waclaw Korabiewicz

A peculiar and enchanting travel book about a bird hunting expedition to the Matto Grosso in South America. Watch out for the piranhas!

Translated from the original Polish. Octavo, 238 pages published circa 1958 by the Travel Book Club, effectively Jonathan Cape, London. A lovely clean copy with the striking jacket designed by Leslie Wood.

Parrots and Piranhas

$35.00

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Jack Thwaites – Pioneer Tasmanian Bushwalker and Conservationist – Simon Kleinig

Published by Forty Degrees South, Hobart in 2008. A very good copy of a hard to come by book.

Soft cover, perfect bound, 261 pages, illustrated throughout including images from hand drawn maps.

This is a different sort of biography. We have the background of Jack Thwaites born in 1902 at Kendall in the Lake District, England. Arrived in Tasmania with his family at the age of ten. Around 1928 Jack began his ambitious walking trips. He was three years ahead of Bert Nicholls who is famed for cutting the Overland Track between Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair .. the first genuinely up Frenchman’s Cap and likewise to the mountains in the South West.

This book is partly written around the diaries he kept during these long hikes, often written in pencil at the evening camp fire. Many diaries are missing … such a pity.

Simon Kleinig called on the help of many to produce this intimate and rewarding book not the least Jack’s grand children Anne and Bill Thwaites who also manged to find some memorable images of this pioneering walker.

Jack Thwaites – The First Real Tasmanian Bush Walker.

$50.00

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