
The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, Gilbert White, Illustrated by Thomas Bewick, Swan Sonnenschein, 1889
A good decorated green cloth edition of Gilbert White's 'Natural History of Selborne'. White (1720-1793) was a pioneering English naturalist and man of the Church. He was highly respected, and an influential figure in the way he studied living creatures in their environment, and noting the seasonal changes throughout the year. His work on Selborne has been in continuous print, in a multitude of different editions, since its first publication in 1789.
The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, in the county of Southampton, by the Rev. Gilbert White, M.A. The Standard Edition by E.T. Bennett. Thoroughly revised, with additional Notes, by James Edmund Harting, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Seventh Edition with Ten Letters not Included in any Other Edition of the Work. Illustrated with Engravings by Thomas Bewick and Others.
Published by Swan Sonnenschein and Co., London, 1889. Seventh Edition. Printed by Haze'l, Watson & Voney, Ld., London and Aylesbury.
A dark green cloth hardback in original Publisher's cloth, with very attractive gilt cover decoration, and gilt edges to text block. Cover a little rubbed and bumped with a little give in the spine, which is slightly darkened. Plain black endpapers cracked at inner hinges, but all still bound.
Text is bright and clean throughout with occasional light scattered spotting. As a nice bonus, the book contains four pressed plant specimens which are nicely preserved. It would be nice to think that these are from Selborne of course, although there's no way of knowing for sure.
Text in English.
xxii + (1pp) + 568pp.
Dimensions: approximately 231mm x 167mm x 40mm.
Weight: Approximately 1222g (unpacked).