Ichthyology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror, under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S.

Description:

Zoology of the voyage of the H.M.S. Erebus and Terror, Vol. II, Part 2, Ichthyology. The complete report concerning the fish specimens collected during Ross' voyage to the Antarctic (1839-1842), including species from Australia, New Zealand, Cape Horn, the Falklands, and elsewhere.

The expedition of HMS Erebus and Terror to the Antarctic was under the command of Captain James Clark Ross (1800-1862). Francis Crozier was second-in-command, Captain of HMS Terror. It was the first of the major Antarctic expeditions, with the mission of conducting 'magnetic research and geographical discovery'. The natural history collections collected en route proved of lasting importance, many being collected by the assistant surgeon and botanist, Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911). Page 15 records an amusing story; “When the ships were in the high latitude of 77°10’S., and long. 178½°, a fish was thrown up by the spray in a gale of wind, against the bows of the Terror, and frozen there. It was carefully removed for the purpose of preservation, and a rough sketch was made of it by the surgeon, John Robertson, Esq., but before it could be put into spirits, a cat carried it away from his cabin, and ate it. The sketch is not sufficiently detailed [so] … we have introduced a copy of the design merely to preserve a memorial of what appears to be a novel form.” It would be another 60 years before another specimen of this new species would be caught again.

Fine lithographic plates of fish by W. Mitchell, printed by Hullmandel & Walton. Also bound at the rear are the first 24 pages and 6 plates of the report on Insects 'Insects of New Zealand' [by Adam White, 1846], which includes species of stick insects and dragonflies new to European science collected from New Zealand and the Auckland Islands. A further part on insects (pp. 25-52, plates 7-10) was published much later, in 1874, but is not present here.

The present volume comprises an important part of the scientific reports resulting from the expedition. The complete Zoological reports were published in 24 parts, in 2 volumes, over a thirty-year period and complete sets are extremely rare.

BM(NH) Library Catalogue Vol. IV, p. 1698; Nissen ZBI, 3386; Rosove, 270-8.

Condition

4to, nineteenth century half morocco, rubbed and a little worn to extremities, raised bands, gt, aeg, marbled endpapers. Some scattered foxing, heavier to a couple of plates. With the bookplate and gilt crest to front cover of the General Assembly Library, New Zealand. No stamps. Also with decorative bookplate of a later owner.