MURCHISON, Sir Roderick.

The Silurian System.

Founded on geological researches in the counties of Salop, Hereford, Radnor, Montgomery, Caermarthen, Brecon, Pembroke, Monmouth, Gloucester, Worcester, and Stafford; with descriptions of the coal-fields and overlying formations.

Stock Code

104992

London, John Murray, 1839

£13,500

J.C. Thackray (1978) consulted 25 institutional examples of the work, with only eleven copies containing the map. Scarce.

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Description

First edition; 2 vols, 4to, (329 x 265 mm); complete with 14 lithographic plates, 112 woodcuts, 5 maps, 31 engraved plates of fossils, 9 folding hand-coloured geological sections signed by the author, some pages lightly spotted,second vol contains large, hand-coloured engraved 3 sheet folding map signed by Murchison of 'The Silurian Region and Adjacent Counties of England & Wales, Geologically Illustrated', also containing a 'map of England and Wales, Coloured according to Geological Systems', 28 compartments, (976 x 1633 mm), backed on red silk edged linen, with autographed letter signed 'Rodk Murchison' to the French naturalist Dr Henri Milne-Edwards, asking for an 'account of the Serpulina formed shelly body' for his description of the Ludlow rocks; fine contemporary calf binding with red morocco labels on decorated spine, gilt ruled boards with ornithological motif gilt stamped on upper cover, corners of boards and spine slightly bumped; 768pp, overall a very good copy.