THE NATURAL HISTORY OF BEASTS.

W. S. Johnson, 60 St. Martin's Lane, Charring Cross. No date. Circa 1850. (4.7 x 4.2 inches). Two concertina sheets, each printed on one side with 6 hand coloured woodcuts of animals above the accompanying text in each section. Unbound as issued, in pale peach coloured paper wraps with the title, publisher details and a woodcut illustration to the front panel and an advert for The Home Circle Magazine, a family magazine (this periodical was only published between 1849-54), on the rear, both within a decorative border. The illustrated pages feature fairly crude hand colouring and there are a few creases but they are complete and generally very good indeed. There is a later (dated June '95) neat pencil inscription on the front wrapper cover, which has a few creases but is overall in very good condition. An attractive and rare survivor. No copy with this title listed on Worldcat or Copac, although the book is clearly a variant edition of the book 'The natural history of Birds and Beasts' which was issued in the same format and by the same publisher. ---- W. S. Johnson was located at 60, St. Martin's Lane between 1846 and 1862. - P.A.H. Brown. London publishers and printers, (page 101). --- The home circle, a family magazine, was published between 1849-54. Some of the listings on worldcat give Glaisher as author for the similar titled Natural history of birds and beasts.