Island Life, or the Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras including a Revision and attempted Solution of the Problem of Geological Climates
London: Macmillan, 1892.
Hardcover. Very good. Second and revised edition. pp. xx, 563, with index, colored map as frontispiece. An attractive copy in publisher's green cloth with gilt spine lettering. Very slight abrasion to front board, small (1/3 inch) split in cloth a rear joint, first three leaves (two front blanks and half title) with archival repairs to a short closed tear. Binding tight, text clean. Considered one of Wallace's most important works, this study of the biology and geography of islands posits the first-ever theory of continental glaciation based on a combination of geographical and astronomical causes, and includes a discussion of island classification and a survey of worldwide island faunas and floras. Drawing on a wide range of source material, Wallace presents extensive evidence of the mass migration of species, and of drastic and repeated climatic changes across the globe..
Item #22486
Price: $200.00