The Naturalist on the River Amazons,: a Record of Adventures, Habits of Animals, Sketches of Brazilian and Indian Life, and Aspects of Nature Under the Equator, During Eleven Years of Travel.

London: John Murray, , 1863. A landmark work of natural history exploration, in the bright original cloth First edition of Bates's narrative of his travels in South America, "one of the finest scientific travel books of the 19th century" (DSB). The wood engravings, particularly the frontispiece in volume I, are beautifully rendered from drawings by several leading natural history illustrators. It was described by Darwin as "the best work of natural history travels ever published in England" (Life and Letters, p. 381). Bates travelled with his friend and colleague Alfred Russel Wallace through the Amazon basin for two years, 1848-9, and remained behind when Wallace returned to England; he eventually stayed for 11 years in all. Bates supported his own entomological collecting interests by supplying specimens for public and private collections, sending approximately 14,700 species back to England, 8,000 of them new to science. He was encouraged to write his account by Darwin, with whom he frequently corresponded and who recommended Bates to his own publisher, John Murray. The resulting work became "a major contribution to the knowledge and literature of Amazonia" and "an immediate success and travel classic" (ODNB), selling successfully throughout the 19th century and being translated into numerous languages. Jointly a personal diary, account of the region, guide to the customs of its inhabitants, and detailed analysis of native fauna, The Naturalist on the River Amazons "provides a fascinating record of the natural environment and wildlife of Amazonia before the major impact of the rubber boom... The book's enduring appeal lies in its elegant yet scientific pen-portraits of places, people, and wildlife" (ibid.). Two volumes, octavo. Original reddish brown vertical rib-and-diaper cloth, spines lettered and ruled in gilt, Amazonian scene stamped in gilt to front covers, red coated endpapers, binder's ticket of Edmonds & Remnants to rear pastedown of vol. I. Wood-engraved tissue-guarded frontispiece in each volume, 7 plates, folding map of the Amazons at rear of vol. I, title-page vignettes, 33 illustrations within text after E. W. Robinson, Joseph Wolf, Josiah Wood Whymper, and Johann Baptist Zwecker. With 32 pp. publisher's advertisements at rear. Armorial bookplates of the Tollemache family to front pastedowns. Cloth and gilt bright, a few faint marks to spines, corners and ends bumped, tail of spine of vol. I worn, bookplate adhesive resulting in slight stripping and tiny perforation to facing endpaper of same volume, foxing to edges and prelims but contents overall presenting very nicely, a handful of gatherings partially unopened, gauze occasionally visible: a very good copy in the fresh and unrestored original cloth. Borba de Moraes, p. 91; Sabin 3932a; Troelstra, Natural History Travel Narratives, pp. 55-6. Francis Darwin, ed., The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, 1887.