Author: Home, E.
Title: An account of the organs of generation of the Mexican Proteus, called by the natives Axolotl.
Description: London, The Royal Society, 1824. 4to. Title page (to the volume), five pp., three engraved plates. Original blind wrappers. = Early description of the morphology and anatomy of the axolotl. The author reports the species to be very common in certain Mexican lakes and being a major food-source. He also mentioned the food of the axolotl, and, in depth, the reproductive organs from which he concludes that the animal is "perfect". Published in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1824 (= volume 114, part 2). Uncut, with wide margins. Provenance: With the bookplate of Gordon of Buthlaw, In recto ducus. Thomas Gordon (1788-1841) was Scotsman, an officer in the British army and a historian, who owned a plantation in Jamaica. "Gordon died at Cairness and was survived by his wife. He had no issue with her and in his will left most of his estate ... to an illegitimate son called Charles Wilkinson, who later took the surname Gordon. His existence seems to have been a secret from the rest of the family as he had been brought up by a tutor in Elgin. The inheritance caused much scandal and led to a long period of litigation within the family. Thomas Gordon’s historical library and manuscripts were sold in March 1850, and his antiquities in the following June" (Wikipedia). Wrappers stained, plate edges a bit discoloured, otherwise a very good, clean copy. Rare.

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