FRAGMENTS OF THE NATURAL HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Barton, Benjamin Smith:
Philadelphia: Printed for the Author, by Way & Groff, 1799. xviii,24pp. Folio. Modern three quarter morocco and marbled boards, spine gilt, early plain rear wrapper bound in at back. Bit tanned, few small chips along edges of titlepage. Some light scattered foxing. Overall very good. An important early American natural history monograph, mostly on migratory birds, by the prominent Philadelphia doctor and naturalist. Barton's writings reflect the wide scope of his interests beyond the medical field to such topics as Indian languages, botany, birds, rattlesnakes, and a variety of other natural history subjects. "This work deals predominantly with the migratory birds, arranged according to the dates throughout the year 1791 on which they were first seen in the neighborhood of Philadelphia...Barton also notices and describes the concurrent state of the vegetation" - MacPhail. Although noted as "Part First" on the titlepage, this is all that was published. Printed in a handsome large folio format. EVANS 35159. PRITZEL 436. MEISEL III:361. MacPHAIL, BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON AND WILLIAM PAUL CRILLON BARTON 2.
(Item ID: WRCAM25324) $3,500.00