Antique Maps, Books, & Prints of Natural History, Botanicals, & More
Lot 61945:
Description
This fascinating, rare French treatise on the Dodo Bird is Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville’s
Mémoire sur le Dodo, Autrement Dronte; Nouvelles Annales du Muséum D’Histoire Naturelle, ou Recueil de Mémoires. Publies par les Professeurs de cet Établissement et par D’Autres Naturalistes sur L’Histoire Naturelle, L’Anatomie, et la Chimie. The work was published in Paris by Roret in 1835. There are four lithographed plates (one featuring hand-coloring) and 36 pages. It is bound to style in half calf over marble paper boards, spine gilt.
Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville (1777-1850) was an influential French zoologist and anatomist. He was a contemporary of Cuvier and Lamarck. Blainville wrote his treatise on the Dodo to attempt to fit it into a larger family within the Linnean system. He argued (incorrectly) that it was a flightless relative of the vulture. His research benefited from access to well-preserved specimens in English collections at Oxford and the British Museum.
Paper Size ~ 7 3/4" by 10 1/4"; Plate 1: ~ 12 3/4" by 10 1/8" (Fold out); Plates 2-3: ~ 7 5/8" by 10 1/8"; Plate 4 ~ 8 3/4 – 9 1/4" by 10 1/4 – 12" (Fold out)
Condition report:
The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There may be some handling to the fold out plates and minor signs of wear overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or faint marks to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.
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