THOMAS PENNANT Arctic Zoology Quadrupeds Birds 1784-1797

Description: Arctic Zoology, Vol. I. Introduction. Class I. Quadrupeds; Vol. II. Class II. Birds [with] Supplement to the Arctic Zoology Author: Pennant, Thomas Published: London; Henry Hughs, 1784-1797 Binding: Hardcover Condition: Very good (please see full item description for details) Description: Three volumes in two, with the supplement bound in at the end of Volume II. 4to, 9.25 x 11.75 inches, with wide margins. Volume I: pp [10], cc, [6], 185, [1]. Volume II: pp [2], [187]-586, [14]; Supplement, vii, 163. Collated and complete with frontispiece, two vignette title pages, two folding maps, and 23 full page plates (one folding). In a contemporary binding of red sheepskin with gilt decoration on spines and gilt borders on front and rear boards, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers. Boards scuffed and rubbed, chip missing from head of spine, a few pages with old repairs to margins, scattered foxing, especially to the folding maps. Elliott Coues, in his 1892 Key to North American Birds, wrote: "A great landmark -- one of the most conspicuous of the last century -- was set up with the appearance in 1785 of the second volume of Pennant's 'Arctic Zoology.' The whole work, in three quarto volumes with many plates, 1784-87, was 'designed as a sketch of the Zoology of North America.' ... Pennant treated upwards of 500 nominal species of North American birds. ...We are so accustomed to see 'Linn.' (Linnaeus) and 'Gm.' (Gmelin) after the names of our longest-known birds that we almost unconsciously acquire the notion that Linnaeus and Gmelin were great discoverers or describers of birds in those days. But the men who made North American ornithology what it was during the last century were Catesby, Edwards, Forster, Pennant, Latham, and Bartram." Volume 2 includes description and illustration of several extict species, including the Passenger Pigeon, Eskimo Curlew, and Great Auk, all of which were still extant at the time these volumes were published. In addition to the pioneering work on birds, the work is notable for its descriptions of Steller's sea cow, obtained directly from explorers who observed the animals before their extinction, as well as for apparently the first published illustration of a North American musk-ox. Welsh naturalist Pennant originally conceived of these volumes as “North American Zoology” but changed the title and focus after the loss of the British colonies. Sabin 59757; Lada-Mocarski 38; Arctic Bibliography 13291. see our other Polar Regions listings Please email us for additional details about any item and we will respond promptly. Shipping: For orders of more than one book, we will combine shipping whenever possible. Priority and International shipping are available. Please contact us for a quote. Condition Descriptions Defined: We grade our books and dust jackets using the traditional language of the antiquarian book trade. In brief: Fine is the highest grade and means essentially as new, without visible faults or defects; Near Fine means approaching fine, but with one or more very minor defects or faults, which will be noted; Very Good means the book shows some general (but not too offensive) signs of wear and use, which will be noted; Good means the book is complete and intact, but has more wear or some internal markings. Any ex-library book will be graded no higher than Good, even if it is otherwise a very nice copy. Again, all flaws will be noted. We rarely offer any books in Fair or Poor condition, but if we do, the reasons for the grade will be evident from the photo(s) and description. Guarantee & Returns: All books are guaranteed as described and can be returned within 30 days for any reason. Please notify us in advance of any return. About us: Walkabout Books is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA). We are always looking to purchase collections or single books of value. Our particular areas of interest include Americana, Exploration, Travel, Alaska and Polar, Mountaineering, and Natural History, but we are happy to consider offers of fine books in any field. We also offer professional appraisal services for tax, estate, and insurance purposes.

Price: 2750 USD

Location: Curtis, Washington

End Time: 2025-01-20T23:52:04.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.88 USD