A General Natural History:or,New and Accurate Descriptions of the Animals,Vegetables,and Minerals,of the Different Parts of the World;with Their Virtues and Uses,as far as hitherto certainly known,in Medicine and Mechanics:…

London,for Thomas Osborne,1748-52,First Edition,3 volumes,folio,(380 x

240mm) Large Paper Copy, full Contemporary Red Morocco Gilt, with 56 hand-coloured engraved plates and one engraved folding table of fossils,one plate remargined, a fine clean set.

A Special Issue of this beautifully illustrated work by one of the most important naturalists of the eighteenth century. The plates and text are ruled in red and were intended to denote specially bound coloured copies for Subscribers.

Author of one of the largest botanical publication “The Vegetable System”,Hill developed his own system for plant classification.,and due to his enthusiasm was a prolific author of natural history works.

The “General Natural History” is divided into three books “A History of Fossils;A 

History of Plants;and a History of Animals”.The fine engravings by B.Cole display some of the newly discovered fish and shells of the Pacific Ocean and in the volume on fossils there is a series of plates that include shark teeth,,shells and coral.

“Not only was Hill industrious and energetic,but his writings show him to have been a man of real ability and genius”.Henry.

He is famous for his attack on the Royal Society and its Transactions,of which he was never allowed membership.He died after a long dispute with the Earl of Bute,leading to bankruptcy.

Provenance Royal Society of Edinburgh

Henrey 809;Anker 210;Pritzel 4061.