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First published in 1880, this study of the biology and geography of islands investigates some of the most pressing questions of nineteenth-century natural science. Why do countries as far-flung as Britain and Japan share similar flora and fauna when those of neighbouring islands in Malaysia are utterly unalike? What is the origin of life in New Zealand? And why do the geological formations of Scotland and Wales appear to be the result of glaciers when those countries lie in the temperate zone? Dismissing popular theories of submerged continents and 'special creation', Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) presents extensive evidence of the mass migration of species, and of drastic and repeated climatic changes across the globe. Drawing on a vast range of sources and the newest ocean soundings to support his theories, Wallace wrote the text for the intelligent general reader. It remains a fascinating introduction to the subject matter today.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), 'the greatest scientific traveller who ever lived' according to Darwin, made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of geography, oceanography, climatology and ecology. In 1804, he returned from a five-year exploration of Latin America with an incredible wealth of specimens and data which provided the foundations for his theories on the natural order. He expounds them in this book, which was printed in German in 1808 before being translated by the geographer Jean-Baptiste Benoit Eyries (1767-1846) and published in French in 1828. Humboldt does more than provide descriptions of the great features and phenomena of the Earth, ranging from the geological character of immense plains and steppes to the structure and action of volcanoes. He combines a rigorous scientific approach with his emotional and aesthetic responses to the natural world, thereby constructing a true 'philosophy of nature'.

James Geikie (1839-1915) was born in Edinburgh, and his work from 1861 as a field geologist for the Geological Survey in Scotland provided the evidence for the theories he proposes in this work, first published in 1874 (revised editions appeared in 1877 and 1894). Geikie brought together his own research and the findings of other geologists in Scotland to support his main thesis of 'drift' being evidence of the action not of sea ice but of land ice. He was influenced by James Croll's theory that changes in the Earth's orbit led to epochs of cold climate in one hemisphere and warm in the other, and Geikie believed that the geological record provided evidence for inter-glacial periods. The book was hailed as a breakthrough at the time, and brought the author international recognition. With intricate scientific theories explained in clear uncluttered language, this remains a classic text.

Swiss-born zoologist, geologist and paleontologist Louis Agassiz (1807-73) was among the foremost scientists of his day. When he took up the study of glaciology and glacial geomorphology in Switzerland in 1836, he recorded evidence left by former glaciers, such as glacial erratics, drumlins and rock scouring and scratching. In this work, published in 1840, he proposed a revolutionary ice-age theory, according to which, glaciers are the remaining portions of sheets of ice which once covered the earth. His radical suggestion undermined the hypothesis that landscape features were the result of a great biblical flood. Although Agassiz's invaluable work led some to acclaim him as the 'father' of glacial theory, critics have cited the contributions of others, including Jean de Charpentier and Karl Schimper. The book also describes the features of active glaciers, including ice tables, ice pinnacles and moraines.

The explorer and multi-disciplinary scientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was a prominent figure in the European scientific community of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the first to make a scientific survey of South and Central America. His travels alone brought him widespread recognition, but the extensive field notes and research he undertook were developed further on his return. Originally published in French and translated in 1823, this work brought his geological speculations to a British audience. Humboldt explores the positioning of different types of rocks across the globe, and the causes behind these formations. He also hypothesises that the flora of these areas are affected by the geology, which in turn is influenced by the thermal currents of the earth's molten core. These insights into rock formations are also key to Humboldt's theory of continental drift, now recognised as resulting from the shifting of the continental plates.

Prussian explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was described by Darwin as 'the greatest scientific traveller who ever lived'. His boundless curiosity as well as his scientific and cultural knowledge helped lay the foundations of physical geography, climatology, ecology and oceanography. In 1799, Humboldt embarked on a five-year trip to explore Central and South America. He devoted a large amount of time to the study of geognosie, the science of the origin and distribution of minerals and rocks forming the earth, later known as geology. In 1805, Humboldt published his first impressions of volcanoes and earthquakes in the Americas in his Personal Narrative. In this 1826 work, he makes the first systematic attempt to compare the rocks of the Old and New Worlds. This groundbreaking analysis became one of the most important geological works of its time.

The original French edition of this book appeared in 1866 as part of Hachette's extensive, popularising Bibliotheque des Merveilles series, which included several science titles by Frederic Zurcher (1816-90) and Elie Margolle (1816-84). Their books were illustrated with attractive wood-cuts, and remained in print until the 1880s; they were also translated into English. This volume was published in London in 1868, and is a good example of popular science publishing in Victorian Britain. The material is organised geographically, beginning in Europe with Vesuvius, Etna and Icelandic volcanoes including Hecla, all of which had recently seen major eruptions. The authors quote from eyewitness accounts, and refer to scholarly publications on volcanoes including Darwin (1844) and Scrope (1862), also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. Later chapters describe oceanic volcanoes, the Andes, the volcanic zone of New Zealand's North Island, and recently discovered volcanoes such as Mt Erebus in Antarctica.

Jean-Francois Daubuisson (1769-1841), geologist and engineer, was an Officer of the Legion d'Honneur, Knight of St Louis and Chief Engineer at the Royal Mining Corps. He published numerous papers on geology, mining and hydraulics, and is best known for his textbooks, Traite de geognosie and Traite d'hydraulique. He studied geology and mineralogy in Freiburg with Abraham Werner, the key proponent of Neptunism, the theory that all rocks had an aqueous origin. Later in his career Daubuisson was to side with the Plutonists, who argued that basalts formed from molten rock. However, in this paper, published in French in 1803, he describes his observations of the basalts of Saxony and argues that they, and all basalts, are sedimentary. This English translation by the Secretary of the Wernerian Natural History Society was published in 1814, and provides a fascinating insight into this discredited but once influential theory of the Earth.

In the nineteenth century, scientists were convinced that the North Pole was free of ice. This myth was fostered since the eighteenth century, when it was thought that ice came from rivers and mainly formed near coasts. Rivers supposedly carried into the north seas a prodigious amount of glacons or 'ice cubes', which formed enormous masses of ice as they accumulated. This misconception led to an inaccurate climate theory that persisted until the beginning of the twentieth century: ice near a country's shores produces bitter cold in that country. This book, published in 1818, links the harsh winters of 1815-17 in England and Europe to the impressive amount of ice encountered at the same time in the Atlantic. The cold was thought to be caused by the break-up and southward drift of Arctic ice. It is attributed to the French meteorologist Antoine Aubriet, who was active in 1815-30.

The Scottish geologist Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871) first proposed the Silurian period after studying ancient rocks in Wales in the 1830s. Naming the sequence after the Silures, a Celtic tribe, he believed that the fossils representing the origins of life could be attributed to this period. This assertion sparked a heated dispute with his contemporary Adam Sedgwick, ultimately ruining their friendship. First published in 1854, Siluria is a significant reworking of Murchison's earlier book, The Silurian System, which had appeared in 1839. Thorough in his approach, he combines his own findings with those of researchers around the world, touching also on the later Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian periods as well as questions of natural history. An important text in nineteenth-century geology and palaeontology, the work contains a valuable geological map of Wales along with detailed engravings of fossils, including crustaceans, cephalopods and fish.

The geologist Sir Henry Thomas De la Beche (1796-1855) made important contributions as both a surveyor and a theorist. Elected to the Royal Society in 1823, he mapped geological strata in Devon during the 1830s and became the founding director of the British Geological Survey, the world's first national geological survey. In 1847, he was elected president of the Geological Society of London. Reflecting the scope of his scientific knowledge, the present work covers a wide range of topics, including the density of planets, the mineralisation of organic remains, and what could be inferred from the fossils thus created. The book was first published in 1834, the year he became embroiled in an argument with his contemporary Roderick Murchison. Lasting several years, the dispute became known as the 'The Great Devonian Controversy'. De la Beche's Geological Manual (third edition, 1833) has also been reissued in this series.

Luke Howard (1772-1864) was a pharmacist and businessman, but is most famous for his contributions to meteorology. He classified clouds by their appearance and gave them their modern names of cumulus, cirrus, nimbus and stratus. He was educated at a Quaker school in Oxfordshire, then trained as a pharmacist, but was fascinated by weather throughout his life, and developed into a keen amateur meteorologist. He wrote several important texts on the subject including The Climate of London, an early study in urban climatology, and On the Modification of Clouds (both also reissued in this series). Published in 1837, Seven Lectures on Meteorology covers the components of the atmosphere, seasonal variation in winds and temperature, the use of barometers, cloud structure, and visual phenomena such as rainbows and the Aurora Borealis. This reissue also includes Howard's short 1842 book which details selected British weather data from 1824 to 1841.

In 1880, William Herbert Guthrie-Smith (1862-1940) emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand, where he learned the basics of sheep farming and acquired Tutira, a disused sheep station of 20,000 acres in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island. Tutira, published in 1921, describes every aspect of Guthrie-Smith's enterprise, including the redevelopment of the land and comprehensive advice on sheep farming. The book also covers the history of the local Maori and of European settlement, and provides an extensive account of the farm's natural history including its geological configuration, meteorological patterns, the formation of lakes and waterways, and the native plant and bird species Guthrie-Smith discovered on his land. It also draws attention to the impact of introduced, 'alien' plants and animals. Tutira is one of the great classics of New World environmental consciousness; it was reprinted in 1926, and a posthumous revised edition appeared in 1953.

Not much is known about the life of William T. Kilgour, apart from the fact that in the late nineteenth century he spent two decades as an irregular member of staff at the meteorological observatory on Ben Nevis. In 1905, a year after the observatory closed due to lack of funds, Kilgour published this account of his experiences, including some of 'the more outstanding incidents inseparable from an existence spent at such an altitude', both as a chronicle of life on the mountain and to encourage the public to support the reopening of the observatory. The text is illustrated with several photographs of the striking natural surroundings as well as images of the meteorologists working and relaxing at the inhospitably located station. The result is an accessible and charming record of scientific life on Britain's highest peak around the turn of the century.

Throughout the nineteenth century, Britain remained hungry for minerals to fuel her industrial and economic growth. Archibald Liversidge (1846-1927) found his knowledge and research to be in high demand. He had studied at the Royal College of Chemistry, and then obtained an exhibition to Cambridge, where he founded the Cambridge University Natural Sciences Club. At just twenty-seven years old Liversidge was appointed Reader in Geology at the University of Sydney, where he revolutionized the study of minerals and their potential applications. First published in 1876, and reprinted here from the enlarged, third edition of 1888, his chemical audit of the minerals of New South Wales became a key text for students of this field. Divided into two sections that address metallic and non-metallic minerals in turn, and incorporating a detailed map and substantial appendix, this work is of enduring interest and importance to geologists, chemists and historians of science.

In later life the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, the explorer and scientist Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) encouraged and supported the 1901 voyage of his fellow Norwegian Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), publishing this account of its scientific findings in 1906. Amundsen had just purchased his famous boat, the Gjoa, and wanted to test her in Arctic waters. He planned to pay for the expedition by hunting seals, but wanted to carry out scientific work at the same time. On Nansen's advice, he decided to make oceanographic observations. After a six-month voyage, he returned with both observations and samples of water and plankton which considerably enlarged understanding of the bottom waters of the Norwegian Sea and the play of current in the area. Nansen's work supplies technical details, diagrams and maps from this remarkable scientific survey.

James Bryce (1806-77) was a Scottish schoolteacher and geologist. His numerous articles on geology earned him a place in the Geological Society of London (1834) and in the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1875). He also campaigned to reform the Scottish universities and for Scottish education to be independent of the English system. In 1855 Bryce conducted a geological survey of Clydesdale and the Isle of Arran for the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS). His findings were published the same year, in this book. Bryce's study records the natural history of the two regions, with descriptions of the geological features encountered on various expeditions in Arran. Bryce also describes the Arran flora, marine fauna, and rare insect life. This book remained the geological authority on Arran and Clydesdale for a long time; the third edition, reissued here, was published in 1865.

Abandoning a promising career in the law, Barthelemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (1741-1819) enjoyed the encouragement of the eminent scientist Buffon in pursuing his love of natural history. His keen interest in rocks, minerals and fossils led to a number of important discoveries, among which was confirmation that basalt was a volcanic product. Appointed assistant naturalist at the natural history museum in Paris, he became a professor of geology in 1793, occupying this position until his death. This 1784 work begins with concise accounts of numerous varieties of basalt, describing the key features of each, before moving on to discuss several other volcanic products, including breccia and pozzolana. Of related interest, two other works by Faujas, Essai de geologie (1803-9) and the revised English edition of A Journey through England and Scotland to the Hebrides in 1784 (1907), are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.

While living in Japan, John Milne (1850-1913) sought to study the 1880 Yokohama earthquake, soon realising that scientists lacked the proper tools. Aided by colleagues, he went on to develop the necessary instrumentation, and by 1896 he had built the first seismograph capable of recording major earthquakes in any part of the world. His textbook Earthquakes and Other Earth Movements (also reissued in this series) had appeared in 1886. In this follow-up work, published in 1898, Milne continues to discuss the nature of earthquakes, the methods and equipment needed to investigate them, and how to apply this knowledge to construction. He references the research, hypotheses and formulae of modern scientists, also noting in passing the suggestions made by earlier authors on the causes of seismic activity. The text is accompanied by many diagrams, especially of experimental apparatus, and several photographs illustrate damaged buildings and bridges.

John Tyndall (1820-93) was a prominent physicist, particularly noted for his studies of thermal radiation and the atmosphere. He was a prolific writer and lecturer, who was able to bring experimental physics to a wide audience. While researching his 1860 work, The Glaciers of the Alps, he became a proficient climber, and this work, first published in 1871, combines climbing expeditions in Switzerland with comments on glaciation and geology. It was extremely popular, with a second edition in the same year, and German and American editions in 1872. He was one of a group of noted Alpinists of the period, making the first ascent of the Weisshorn in Switzerland and finally conquering the Matterhorn in 1868, three years after its first ascent. This account of Victorian climbing expeditions makes fascinating reading, and shows the length an experimental scientist was prepared to go in search of knowledge.

An industrial chemist by profession, Luke Howard (1772-1864) proposed the method of cloud classification that is still in use today. His life-long interest in meteorology led him to produce this landmark work in the history of the subject. General scientific opinion at the time was that clouds were too changeable to be classified, but, inspired by Linnaeus' work in biological classification, Howard proposed a method which used Latin terminology - cirrus, cumulus, stratus and nimbus - to provide a standard description for each of three groups of cloud types. His work was first published in the Philosophical Magazine in 1803; it was produced in book form in 1832 but went quickly out of print. This reissue is of the third printing (1865) of the edition brought out after his death in 1864 by two of his sons. Howard's other meteorological works are also reissued in this series.

Sir Andrew Crombie Ramsay (1814-91) was a British geologist with a particular interest in the effects of glaciation on the landscape. He travelled in Europe and America, and was a keen climber. His first work, Geology of the Island of Arran (1840), also published in this series, attracted the attention of Roderick Murchison, who found him employment with the Geological Survey, and Ramsay later succeeded Murchison as its director. He carried out important fieldwork in Wales, taught at University College London and the Royal School of Mines, and published a successful textbook. Another major contribution was his work on the origin of lakes: his controversial 1862 proposal that glaciers could hollow out lake basins even in the absence of earth movements was eventually accepted. Ramsay's younger colleague at the Geological Survey, Sir Archibald Geikie (1835-1924), who also wrote a biography of Murchison, published this memoir in 1895.

The renowned geologist James D. Forbes (1809-68) presents an account of his systematic exploration of alpine mountain regions and glaciers in this important 1843 publication. Forbes' graphic descriptions of alpine scenery and his mountaineering feats are combined with detailed records of his scientific research and experiments. The study cemented Forbes' reputation in the field, which was later to be commemorated by the naming of the Aiguille Forbes in the Alps and of Mount Forbes in both Canada and New Zealand. The aim in writing the book, says Forbes, was to 'illustrate the physical geography of a particular district in one of the most frequented regions of the Alps'. In doing this, he draws upon the important work of the 'bold mountaineer' Horace Benedict de Saussure, whose feats and achievements Forbes clearly admired. The book is still viewed today as one of the most influential and important publications on mountaineering.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intellectual giant: an explorer who helped lay the foundations of biogeography, a naturalist who influenced Charles Darwin, and a botanist who developed a model of the Earth's climate zones. He travelled extensively in Europe, carried out scientific explorations across the Russian Empire and in Latin America, and devoted much energy to seeking a unified view of the different branches of scientific knowledge. Ansichten der Natur, published in 1808 with a second edition in 1826, aimed to 'engage the imagination' as well as to communicate new ideas, and was translated into many European languages. This authorised translation of the third and final 1849 edition, dating from Humboldt's eightieth year, was published in 1850, though another English translation (by Mrs Sabine) had appeared the previous year. The wide coverage, including geology, geography and biology, is typical of Humboldt, as is the precise and engaging style.

Although devoted to his parish, Leonard Jenyns (1800-93) combined his clerical duties with keen research into the natural world around him. His numerous publications include A Manual of British Vertebrate Animals (1835) and Observations in Natural History (1846), both of which are reissued in this series. This 1858 work is based on nineteen years of meticulous observation of Cambridgeshire weather, including trends in atmospheric pressure and precipitation. Jenyns' careful recording of his surroundings supplies the raw data for the text and many informative tables. The geological position of Swaffam Bulbeck, where most of the observations were made, is briefly discussed along with other factors bearing upon the climate of Cambridgeshire more generally. Throwing light on how meteorological observation was conducted and interpreted, the work reflects a growing interest in the topic in Victorian Britain.

Born in London, the geologist G. B. Greenough FRS (1778-1855) initially studied law. His studies took him to the University of Gottingen where, almost by chance, he attended lectures on natural history. He was immediately hooked, gave up his legal studies, and devoted himself to geology, going on a series of scientific tours of France, Italy, Britain, Ireland and lastly India. He helped to found the Geological Society, and under its auspices, he organised a cooperative project that led to his famous geological map of England and Wales. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1807 for his services to geology. This influential series of essays, published in 1819, debunked a range of geological theories that were popular at the time, and by so doing, Greenough helped to reform much of geological thinking. The book also includes transcripts from his presidential addresses to the Geological Society.

Written by Swiss-born geologist and explorer Louis Agassiz (1807-73), this 1850 publication was the first detailed scientific account of the natural phenomena of Lake Superior. Agassiz, who became a professor at Harvard and later founded the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, was the first scientist to suggest that the earth had experienced an ice age. In the summer of 1848 he led an expedition of his students to Lake Superior, to examine the northern shores, which had previously received very little attention from scientists. The artist James Elliot Cabot (1821-1903), who was included in the party, wrote the 'narrative' of the tour to accompany the scientific report, and this makes up the first part of the work. The rest of the book describes the geological phenomena and zoological distribution in and around the lake, comparing it with similar regions of the world.

Richard Inwards (1840-1937) trained as a mining engineer, working on projects in Europe and South America (his book on Tiwanaku in Bolivia, The Temple of the Andes, is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). A fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, Inwards became well known in scientific circles. Weather Lore was first published in 1869, with this 1893 second edition including new entries from the United States. Compiled from sources as diverse as Hesiod, the Bible and Francis Bacon, the collection includes the notable observations that 'if spaniels sleep more than usual, it foretells wet weather', but 'if rats are more restless than usual, rain is at hand'. Often entertaining, always fascinating, the book does not pretend to be scientifically accurate; as the author was to remark later, 'no human being can correctly predict the weather, even for a week to come'.

The geologist Joseph Beete Jukes (1811-1869) studied at Cambridge under Adam Sedgwick (1785-1873). Between 1839 and 1846, he participated in expeditions to the coasts of Newfoundland, Australia and New Guinea. This posthumous book, edited by Jukes' sister and published in 1871, contains selected highlights from Jukes' professional and personal writings. After a short biographical sketch, the material is arranged chronologically, beginning with Newfoundland and Australia and then focusing on Britain and Ireland, where Jukes was involved with national geological surveys. Linking passages by the editor explain the contexts of the pieces, and the book includes a list of Jukes' publications. Jukes lived during an exciting period that saw far-reaching discoveries and advances in his field, and his energy and enthusiasm permeates even his technical communications. Modern readers, like the original audience, will form a vivid impression of Jukes' lively personality, his 'penetrating glance and his sturdy step'.

Sir George Steuart Mackenzie (1780-1848) was a Scottish baronet whose interests included chemistry and geology. This work, first published in 1811, is his account of his voyage to Iceland in 1810 for the purposes of mineralogical research. Accompanied by physicians Henry Holland and Richard Bright, Mackenzie surveyed volcanoes, geysers and the other geological features of the island. In addition to reporting the results of the expedition's scientific exploration, this charming and evocative journal describes the history, culture, attire and cuisine of the islanders. Also included are Richard Bright's observations on the zoology and botany of Iceland and a survey of the health of the population by Henry Holland, who introduced smallpox inoculation during his visit. Written in an easy, accessible style, this account brings to life the sights, smells and tastes of the tour and the often rudimentary accommodation and travel conditions.