British Grasses: an introduction to the study of the Graminae of Great Britain and Ireland by Margaret Plues - 1867

London : Orr and Smith , 1835 A nice copy of this rare work. It originated as an article for the British Cyclopaedia of Natural History, and was enlarged for separate publication to give readers a systematic introduction to the science of Botany. In original pebbled brown cloth with gilt title on spine, and gilt edges to pages. Profusely illustrated with line drawings and with hand coloured plates. The binding is in good condition - the spine has been relaid at some point and corners and spine edges have been repaired so the book is tight and firm. With marbled endpapers and signature of Miss Wilson and the number 14 to one of the preliminaries. Internally the book is very clean and bright. The index of illustrations is difficult to interpret as it does not distinguish between text illustrations and plates and appears to randomly list some text illustrations and not others - however, I think the book is lacking a colour plate frontispiece and 2 other plates giving 24 plates present of a possible 27.… Read More

LONDON: William S Orr & Co, 1846 A poor copy of this beautiful work with 60 hand coloured plates. Classed as poor because the title page is missing; the binding is poor - in marked plain cloth and beginning to detach; and there is a little marking internally. The pagination matches our other 2nd edition copy so this is presumed as second, dated to 1846. The plates are in good condition - there is some brown spotting to edges, and around 3 have a darkened section, again at the edge not affecting the flower image (we have noticed only one plate with a light mark affecting the flower). All have tissue guards - one guard is torn and one has a small hole - most guards have marking. A few text pages have a little marking and p 117 has a repaired tear to the top margin. The final index page has a small hole at the top. This copy would be well worth rebinding.

London : Lovell Reeve, 1856 A very good to near fine copy of the rarest title in Lovell Reeve's Popular History series. Seemann was a botanist who made his name when he was appointed naturalist (on the recommendation of W J Hooker) to HMS Herald for the Kellett voyage of exploration to the American West Coast and Pacific. The series, aimed primarily at younger readers as an informed introduction to natural history, varies greatly in the quality of its authors as the publishers set strict budget limits on publication costs. In recent quarter leather binding with raised bands, gilt compartments, and gilt titles to spine and marbled boards. New endpapers. With 20 high quality colour printed plates. 17 x 13.5 cms. There is browning to page edges and the odd light mark, but otherwise this is a very good internally. A lovely book.

Edinburgh and London: Maclachlan & Stewart; Bladwin, Cradock & Joy, 1823 A very good copy in 6 volumes dating from 1823-1828, with 360 hand coloured plates. Robert Kaye Greville, 1794-1866, had medical training but an assured income allowed him to choose a more diverse life in science and art, and in his public work - where he became a leading voice against slavery. He published his Scottish Cryptogamic Flora in monthly parts, intending it to complete the catalogue of flora in Smith and Sowerby's English Botany. He drew all the specimens himself and these drawings together with the detailed text, form a comprehensive picture of the scottish cryptogamic flora as it was in the early nineteenth century. This copy is in contemporary marbled boards with cloth spines that have been rebacked and had new title labels. The binding is possibly a publisher's one. The boards have general wear but the bindings are sound. New endpapers have been added. Each volume has a half title and title page,… Read More

Aberdeen: Geo Clark and Son, 1845 An extremely scarce original copy of Edmondston's Shetland flora. Thomas Edmonston produced his first list of Shetland plants when he was 11 years old and had the good fortune to be able to discuss and share it with Joseph Hooker. He expanded the list and produced this work when he was 20 years old. It was and has remained an important work on Shetland's flora. It is in the original blind stamped decorative cloth binding with gilt titles to the front board. The binding is in very good condition. The original yellow endpapers are present and a previous owner has glued the top flap of an envelope to the fpd with their ink notes of plants and a reference to Tingwall manse. There is also a small ink '35' to the top corner of the fep. Contents: title, dedication, preface, introduction pp xxvii; arrangement of Shetland plants 1-67 with errata slip. Contents clean with extensive scholarly annotation - such as references to locations and Icelandic flora.

London : Orr and Smith , 1835 A nice copy of this rare work. It originated as an article for the British Cyclopaedia of Natural History, and was enlarged for separate publication to give readers a systematic introduction to the science of Botany. In original pebbled brown cloth with gilt title on spine, and gilt edges to pages. Profusely illustrated with line drawings and with hand coloured plates. The binding is in good condition - the spine has been relaid at some point and corners and spine edges have been repaired so the book is tight and firm. With marbled endpapers and signature of Miss Wilson and the number 14 to one of the preliminaries. Internally the book is very clean and bright. The index of illustrations is difficult to interpret as it does not distinguish between text illustrations and plates and appears to randomly list some text illustrations and not others - however, I think the book is lacking a colour plate frontispiece and 2 other plates giving 24 plates present of a possible 27.… Read More

London: John Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society, 1679 A very good copy of John Evelyn's (1620-1706) famous work in new quarter leather binding, retaining the original spine with raised bands, and adding new calf endcaps, shoulder strips and marbled boards. With title page in red and black inks covering all 4 sections of the work. Sylva is the 3rd edition revised by Evelyn and with a new dedication to the King. It is the first edition to contain the poem 'The Garden' written by Abraham Cowley. With 2 page dedication to the King, 16 pp note to the Reader, 4 pp poems, 2pp 'Advertisement' - containing definitions, 'The Garden' with dedication 7pp and Table of Chapters - the index for the whole 4 books. Pagination is continuous for Sylva, Terra and Pomona. Sylva is pp 1-281 and contains 4 engravings, one full page, and 8 pp of tables. Terra has a separate title page - and is listed as the 2nd edition - improved, 1678. It is dedicated to Viscount Brouncker and text runs to… Read More

Edinburgh and London: Maclachlan & Stewart; Bladwin, Cradock & Joy, 1823 A very good copy in 6 volumes dating from 1823-1828, with 360 hand coloured plates. Robert Kaye Greville, 1794-1866, had medical training but an assured income allowed him to choose a more diverse life in science and art, and in his public work - where he became a leading voice against slavery. He published his Scottish Cryptogamic Flora in monthly parts, intending it to complete the catalogue of flora in Smith and Sowerby's English Botany. He drew all the specimens himself and these drawings together with the detailed text, form a comprehensive picture of the scottish cryptogamic flora as it was in the early nineteenth century. This copy is in contemporary marbled boards with cloth spines that have been rebacked and had new title labels. The binding is possibly a publisher's one. The boards have general wear but the bindings are sound. New endpapers have been added. Each volume has a half title and title page,… Read More

Aberdeen: Geo Clark and Son, 1845 An extremely scarce original copy of Edmondston's Shetland flora. Thomas Edmonston produced his first list of Shetland plants when he was 11 years old and had the good fortune to be able to discuss and share it with Joseph Hooker. He expanded the list and produced this work when he was 20 years old. It was and has remained an important work on Shetland's flora. It is in the original blind stamped decorative cloth binding with gilt titles to the front board. The binding is in very good condition. The original yellow endpapers are present and a previous owner has glued the top flap of an envelope to the fpd with their ink notes of plants and a reference to Tingwall manse. There is also a small ink '35' to the top corner of the fep. Contents: title, dedication, preface, introduction pp xxvii; arrangement of Shetland plants 1-67 with errata slip. Contents clean with extensive scholarly annotation - such as references to locations and Icelandic flora.

London : Printed by J Davis [Vols I & II] and B Wilks [Vol III] for the Author, 1798 A very good copy of the complete 3 volume 1st edition including later Supplement, with 440 hand coloured plates on 436 leaves. This work was James Sowerby's follow up to his successful English Botany and he both drew, and engraved the plates and oversaw the colouring. He immersed himself in the study of mushrooms over the period of work, which was published between 1798 and 1809, including creating 200 models of larger species, and making his collection of specimens available to public view. In his introduction to the Supplement (which was issued without separate title) he states his concern that the identification of many individual species, with illustrations that focus only on perfect specimens, might confuse the public into eating poisonous fungi. His response was to illustrate a number of specimens rather than the 'perfect one' and to model a number of poisonous species for public inspection. This… Read More