Figuier

1885 · réf. 17296 — London: Cassell Petter & Galpin 1885. Newly edited and revised by H. W. Bristow. Hardcover. Very good. Newly edited and revised by H. W. Bristow. Hardcover. Explore the prehistoric world and follow the fierce reptile whose noble profile remains impressed in gilt on the front cover of this Victorian compendium of dinosaur lore full of fossils and ichthyosaur skeletons and lushly realized visions of each epoch's flora and fauna by Édouard Riou fully illustrated in 235 figures and plates throughout. Reflecting on the the scale of human history in the shadow of these enormous and enduring footprints French scientist Louis Figuier 1819-1894 reflects: "The historian and antiquary may traverse the battle-fields of the Greeks and Romans and search in vain for traces of those conquerors whose armies ravaged the world. Time which has overthrown the monuments of their victories has also effaced the marks of their footsteps.Those reptiles on the other hand which crawled thousands of ages ago on the surface of our planet when it was still in its infancy have impressed on the soil indelible proofs of their existence." Ex-Fort Augustus Benedictine Monastery Library with Latinate bookplate and label to front pastedown. 7 1/2" X 5 1/4". viii 518pp plus page of publisher's ads. Bound brick pebble-grain cloth over bevelled boards ruled in blind with Jurassic vignette stamped in gilt to upper board and spine lettered and decoratively bordered in gilt. Moderate wear to binding with rubbing to edges and extremities a hint of fraying to corners small neat tears to head and tail of spine and hard lean to spine. All edges gilt. Rear hinge tender; binding remains quite firm and sound. Occasional foxing to pages throughout heaviest at first and last pages with occasional penciled annotations. Illustrated in 33 plates 201 figures and several maps and charts. Cassell Petter & Galpin hardcover books