1880 FIRST EDITION Marsh Odontornithes Extinct Toothed Birds 34 Plates RARE For Sale

Scarce first edition of Othniel Charles Marsh\'s landmark paleontological monograph on the extinct toothed birds of North America.

Published in Washington by the Government Printing Office in 1880 as Volume VII of the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel, under the direction of Clarence King.

Marsh\'s Odontornithes is an important early American paleontological work devoted to the extraordinary Cretaceous toothed birds, including Hesperornis and Ichthyornis, discoveries that played an important role in the developing scientific understanding of prehistoric birds and avian evolution.

Publication details:

• Author: Othniel Charles Marsh
• Title: Odontornithes: A Monograph on the Extinct Toothed Birds of North America
• Edition: First Edition
• Publication: Washington, Government Printing Office
• Year: 1880
• Series: Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel, Volume VII
• Professional Papers of the Engineer Department, U.S. Army, No. 18
• Pagination: xv preliminary pages + 201 numbered pages
• Plates: 34 plates (I–XXXIV), all present
• Additional illustrations: 40 woodcuts, as stated on the title page
• Some plates are folding

Completeness:

This copy has been checked for the principal bibliographic components and contains the complete numbered text through page 201 as well as all 34 plates, numbered I through XXXIV.

The presence of the complete suite of plates is particularly important, as individual plates are sometimes missing or damaged in surviving copies.

The numerous detailed illustrations document the anatomy, skeletal structure and fossil remains of Marsh\'s remarkable extinct toothed birds.

Condition:

Antiquarian condition consistent with a scientific volume published in 1880. Binding, covers, spine, pages and plates show age-related wear, toning, spotting, handling marks and other signs of use as visible in the photographs.

Please examine all photographs carefully for the best assessment of binding and interior condition. Particular attention has been given to photographing the title page and representative plates.

The book has not undergone professional conservation or a formal bibliographical leaf-by-leaf collation; however, the numbered text runs through page 201 and all 34 called-for plates are present.

An important and highly collectible work for those interested in paleontology, ornithology, evolutionary history, fossil birds, American scientific exploration, Othniel Charles Marsh, Hesperornis, Ichthyornis, or 19th-century natural history books.