The Fossils of the South Downs; Or Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex.
London: Lupton Relfe, 1822. First edition, 4to, (xvi), 327, (1 advertisement) pp. 41 plates, 2 folding and 4 hand coloured, plus a hand coloured geological map, endpapers, frontispiece and title page foxed, armorial bookplate. Contemporary half calf, marbled sides, some rubbing to extremities. "...Mantell's first and in some respects most important book... a systematic description, by stratum, of the Secondary and Tertiary formations of Sussex. Mantell also described and illustrates the fossils to be found in each stratum. Seventy-six of these fossils, new to science, were here named by him for his scientific friends... he was able to note... a number of fossil plants, shells, and fishes, together with some extremely curious vertebrae, teeth, and bones of unknown but obviously gigantic reptiles. As time would reveal, these... included both Megalosaurus and Iguanadon" (Dean). Dean 40. Item #40051
Price: £1,800.00