A HISTORY OF THE EARTH AND ANIMATED NATURE

London and Edinburgh., Pub. by A. Fullarton & Co., 1850. Hand colored engraving of 9 butterflies Pl. XXXIX. 140mm x 233mm with small margins. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) was an accomplished poet, playwright and biographer who also had an abiding interest in the natural world. The first edition of his extensive natural work was published in 1774, and it was instantly popular. Several editions and reprints followed well into the nineteenth century. Judging by the size of the plate, this print is most likely from the 1850 edition published by A. Fullarton. Freeman 1334.