1890 Ashton's Curious Creatures in Zoology (Edwin Morgan / Claud Lambton) Myths

Curious Creatures in Zoology By John Ashton ONCE BELONGING TO CLAUD LAMBTON'S LIBRARY AND LATER OWNED BY SCOTTISH POET EDWIN MORGAN Published by John C. Nimmo, London, 1890. Limited Edition. Limited to 210 copies of which this is copy number 80. Hardback, quarter leather binding with cloth sides and with gilt stamp to upper board and gilt title to spine. Book measures 27 x 18 cm. pp xi, 348. With 130 illustrations. A very good copy. Binding good with some light rubbing to the leather spine. Endpapers very good and inner joints sound with no cracking. All contents present and pages very clean throughout. Overall a very good copy with interesting provenance. PROVENANCE With the bookplate of Claud Lambton pasted to the inside front board. The Lambton family are connected to the legend of the 'Laidley Worme of Lambton' which is mentioned on page 296 in the book. The front endpaper of the book carries the signature of Scottish poet Edwin Morgan who must have acquired this book after it was disposed off from the Lambton estate. Edwin Morgan was very interested in mythology and published his translation of Beowulf in 1952. He also wrote about mythical creatures such as the Loch Ness Monster. Edwin George Morgan was a Scottish poet and translator associated with the Scottish Renaissance. He is widely recognised as one of the foremost Scottish poets of the 20th century. In 1999, Morgan was made the first Glasgow Poet Laureate. In 2004, he was named as the first Makar or National Poet for Scotland. Curious Creatures in Zoology is a collection of zoological curiosities compiled by John Ashton, featuring 130 illustrations throughout the text. The book explores various strange and fascinating animals, drawing from historical accounts and naturalists' writings to engage readers with the wonders of the animal kingdom. CONTENTS AMAZONS PYGMIES GIANTS EARLY MEN WILD MEN HAIRY MEN THE OURAN OUTAN SATYRS THE SPHYNX APES ANIMAL LORE THE MANTICORA THE LAMIA THE CENTAUR THE GORGON THE UNICORN THE RHINOCEROS THE GULO THE BEAR THE FOX THE WOLF WERE-WOLVES THE ANTELOPE THE HORSE THE MIMICK DOG THE CAT THE LION THE LEONTOPHONUS—PEGASUS—CROCOTTA THE LEUCROCOTTA—THE EALE—CATTLE FEEDING BACKWARDS ANIMAL MEDICINE THE SU THE LAMB-TREE THE CHIMÆRA THE HARPY AND SIREN THE BARNACLE GOOSE REMARKABLE EGG MOON WOMAN THE GRIFFIN THE PHŒNIX THE SWALLOW THE MARTLET, AND FOOTLESS BIRDS SNOW BIRDS THE SWAN THE ALLE, ALLE THE REMORA THE DOG-FISH AND RAY THE SEA DRAGON THE STING RAY SENSES OF FISHES ZOOPHYTES SPONGES THE KRAKEN CRAYFISH AND CRABS THE SEA-SERPENT SERPENTS WORMES AND DRAGONS THE CROCODILE THE BASILISK AND COCKATRICE THE SALAMANDER THE TOAD THE LEECH THE SCORPION THE ANT THE BEE THE HORNET INDEX (Desk / Top Shelf / Middle)