Found on ebay: "Peter Parley's Tales of Animals, containing descriptions of three hundred quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles, and insects. With numerous engravings."
Note to the Critics.This book is almost wholly a mere compilation; free use has been made, in preparing it, of the Library of Entertaining Knowledge, the Family Library, Wilson's Ornithology, Gedman's Natural History of North America, &c. I make this confession to you; but if I chose to keep this matter a secret from my readers generally, and leave them to infer that my various knowledge is original, this is either their business or mine - not yours. One thing I have to add, - I have drawn very little from either Buffon or his followers, whom modern investigation has shown to afford nearly as much fiction as fact. If my Boas are not quite as long, my Condors not quite as hideous, my Hyaenas, Panthers, and Tigers not quite as untameable, and my Lions not possessed of as many of the old Roman virtues, as those of some other naturalists, I have no other reply to make than this; when I profess to tell the truth, I do not think it in good taste, to talk romance.
-P.P.
The pressed leaves were in the book when I got it.
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
A beautiful find-- especially with pressed leaves as a bonus. About how old is it?
Posted by: Emily | December 16, 2009 11:31 AM
Copyright 1836, but who knows when it was printed. It's in such bad shape, I've felt free to repurpose it for art - which I almost never can bring myself to do with books. But more images will be forthcoming. . .
Posted by: Jessica Palmer
| December 16, 2009 1:06 PM
What fun!
Posted by: mdvlist | December 19, 2009 10:31 AM