American Natural History. Vol. I. Part I., Part II., Part III. Mastology. [Mammalogy - all issued] by Godman, John D., M.D - 1831

Philadelphia: Stoddart & Atherton, 1831. Godman (1794-1830) was an American professor, anatomist and naturalist, influenced by French naturalists; he died quite young of tuberculosis, having only completed the first part of his Natural History, on mammals. The set begins with a discussion of the "red variety" of human beings, as the only branch of the human race native to the continent; Godman argues for a single human race, derived from one pair, noting that a frozen sea crossing along the Aleutians easily explains the human presence here. He then discusses the general character of the American Indian, human teeth, then rapidly moves on the animals, beginning with bats. As an anatomist, he does show a certain interest in teeth and limb structure, but also general behavior and modes of life. Volume one covers bats, shrews & moles, bears, raccoons & badgers, mustelids, otters, dogs & wild canines, wild cats, seals; volume two covers 'possums, rodents, fossil sloths & mastodons, deer & sheep; volume 3 is on the musk ox, bison, dolphins, narwals, & the lamantin (manatee), and whales, with almost a third of the volume on the whale fishery. Three volumes, complete, as pictured. Worn, with the covers on volume 1 detached, chipping, scuffing, some foxing & staining to pages; lower parts of the first volume's title pages cut out, parts of first plate of volume one cut out, but most of the image (of Ongpatonga (Big Elk) remains, last blank torn & partly missing. Text clean; 362; 330; 264 pages; index, appendixes offering two synopses of the North American mammalian genera; 48 engravings in all + engraved title page in each volume - no list is provided, but nothing appears to be missing, apart from the damage noted.. Second Edition. Full Calf. Fair. Octavo.