American Natural History by John D. Godman, M.D. to which is added His Last Work, The Rambles of a Naturalist, with a biographical Sketch of the Author, in Two Volumes.

Hard cover, in Two Volumes (complete.) Third Edition, second printing; (first printing was 1842.) Copyright page seen in both books: 1836 by R.W. Pomeroy (printer) Additional illustrated title page in Vol. II: Philadelphia: Stoddart and Atherton, 1828. [As listed in Worldcat.] 8vo, in full sheepskin, xxvi +337; 288 pp. with two engraved title pp. The spine of Vol. I with four raised bands containing the title in gilt to a red onlaid leather label, all edges marbled, marbled paste downs, rolled gilt pattern to board edges, two prior owner's labels (one engraved). Physical description Vol. II: full sheep, no raised bands, gilt fillet to spine and rolled along board edges similar but not matching Vol. 1. Similar but not identical marbled endpapers. All edges marbled.** CONDITION: Overall, Good. Vol. I: Scuffing to exterior surfaces. Rear cover detached; front hinge fragile. The plates are generally clean and bright with minimal foxing, however area adjacent to text is browned, and animal-shaped browning appears across from the plates onto the text. Vol II: better condition, with brighter, less browned text. Spine labels worn away, scuffing to exterior edges and corners, loss of some gilt and exterior title labels. Interior is generally brighter, and mildly foxed, including plates. This may be a married set of books: however, matching bookplates of the noted collector Emmet Field Horine, M.D. of High Acres Brooks Kentucky appear in both books. Additionally, Volume I contains the earlier engraved bookplate and pencilled signature to the ffep. of Charles W. Ridgely. **Collector EMMET FIELDS HORINE (1885-1964) was a Kentucky cardiologist, bibliophile and philanthropist who donated much of his 20,000 item book collection to various institutions after his death. In addition, his family donated more than one thousand acres of land for scouting and wilderness enjoyment, becoming part of the Jefferson Memorial Forest. (Hartley, Courier-Journal, 7/17/2015.) **Collector CHARLES W. RIDGELY of Maryland (1801-1849) was the earliest owner of at least the first volume of this set. It is believed he may have been a Baltimore-area forebear of the more recent collector mentioned above, as Ridgely's mother's name was Mary Emmet.**Some of many beautiful full page intaglio prints in these volumes were produced by artist and engraver Frenchman CHARLES ALEXANDRE LESUEUR (1778-1846.) Lesueur was himself a full-fledged naturalist and explorer, having journeyed to "New Holland" (now Australia) with Napoleon's Baudin Expedition of 1801, upon which the artist aided in the collection and documentation of more than 100,00 natural history specimens. After a few decades in America, Lesueur returned to France with a large collection of fossils and other specimens, thereafter becoming curator of the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle du Havre. Other notable Philadelphia-area artists such as members of the Peale family were also involved. Baltimore-born Author JOHN DAVIDSON GODMAN, M.D. (1794-1830,) married the daughter of the artist Rembrandt Peale, and benefitted from the proximity of the taxidermy exhibits of the Peale's Philadelphia Museum for some of his natural history observations. (Ashworth, Lindahalldotorg). Godman also published a number of purely medical texts. His unique upbringing defines a questing, persistent intellect, as told in the Memoir of his life in his final book, Rambles of a Naturalist , (essays included in the present publication.) Godman was orphaned, losing his mother at two years old and his father by the age of 5. Thereafter he was cared for by an aunt, defrauded of his estate, and left to apprentice with a printer. His natural genius luckily attracted the attention of a series of patrons who encouraged his pursuit of medical study--but from boyhood he always had an understanding and passion to exceed even this path, determined at the age of eight to master Latin, Greek and French, all of which he achieved by self-study. He died at only 36 yea.…