The Naturalist on the River Amazons. A Record of Adventures, Habits of Animals, Sketches of Brazilian and Indian Life, and Aspects of Nature Under the Equator, During Eleven Years of Travel. With a Memoir of the Author by Edward Clodd. Reprint of the Unabridged Edition, with map and numerous illustrations.
John Murray. London. 1892. 600.00. 8vo., 23.2cm, lxxxix,395p., with photo gravure frontis portrait of Bates, 44 engraved text illustrations including some full page, 1 double page colour plate (butterflies), rear folding map, index, in the original full green cloth, gilt spine and cover gilt titles, the cover title in elaborate gilt frame border, complete with half title, a few internal library stamps, small university name stamped in gilt on the foot of the spine, the patterned endpapers and half title have some foxed, a very good to fine copy – better than average condition. First published in 1863, it is considered one of the finest scientific travel books of the 19th century. (DSB).
First edition of Bates's narrative of his travels in South America, "one of the finest scientific travel books of the 19th century" (DSB). It was described by Darwin as "the best work of natural history travels ever published in England" (Life and Letters, p. 381). Bates travelled with his friend and colleague Alfred Russel Wallace through the Amazon basin.
English naturalist, born in Leicester, with his friend Wallace, he left to explore the Amazon in 1848, and after Wallace’s return to England in 1852, he continued alone until 1859 when he returned with 14,700 specimens, including almost 8000 species of insect new to science. In 1861 he published “Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley”, in which he described the phenomenon now known as Batesian mimicry. In this, harmless, edible species of animals are found resembling others which may be distantly related and are distasteful or poisonous and thus gain protection from predators. This discovery came during the Darwin controversy and provided strong evidence in favour of natural selection. His travels are described in “The Naturalist on the River Amazon, 1863”. In 1864 he became assistant secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. (Tr). very good / fine. Item #43409
Price: $600.00