Milestones of Science Books

[BOURGUET, Louis and CARTIER, Pierre].

Traité de petrifications.

Paris: chez Briasson, 1742.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002298

Two parts in one volume, 4to (249 x 193 mm). xvi, [1] 2-163 [1]; [3] 4-91 [1] pp., title-page with large vignette, 60 folding engraved plates bound at end. Contemporary French calf, spine with 5 raised bands gilt in compartment and with red morocco label titled in gilt (head and foot of spine damaged, hinges split at ends, some worming, corners bumped, extremities worn), marbled endpapers, red-sprinkled edges. Internally somewhat browned (few pages stronger), occasional minor spotting. Provenance: Prof. Carlo Sasali(?), ink stamp to title-page partially erased, further two illegible old stamps to title-page. Still good, unmarked copy with ample margins. ----

Hoover 160; Honeyman 450; Barbier IV, 785 (mention Pierre Cartier as co-author); Nissen ZBI 498 (Den Haag edition); Cobres 723. - THE RARE FIRST EDITION, published anonymously. Louis Bourguet was a student of Scheuchzer and Vallisnieri and - like his teachers - one of the first scientists to devote himself to the science of the study of fossils. He published three works on the subject. Born at Nantes in 1685 he was a professor of philosophy and mathematics at the University of Neuchatel and died there in 1742. The 60 plates show 440 fossil specimens. The work also includes a paleontological bibliography and a list of international locations where fossils have been found.

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