"[Lot of 2] Quadrupede Nomme Kanguroo, Trouve sur la Cote de la Nle. Hollande [and] Le Potouroo. Caractere des Pattes et des Dents",

A. Quadrupede Nomme Kanguroo, Trouve sur la Cote de la Nle. Hollande, by Captain James Cook, from Relation des Voyages Entrepris par Ordre de Sa Majeste Britannique, circa 1774 (6.5 x 8.1"). Attractive sketch of a native Australian Kangaroo, engraved from an oil painting by George Stubbs, a famous 18th century artist working in London. Stubbs modeled his painting after a skin brought back to England by Joseph Banks, who accompanied Capt. James Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific in 1768-1771. Engraved by Francois Godefroi. This engraving was first published in the English edition of Account of the voyages undertaken by the order of His present Majesty for making discoveries in the southern hemisphere by John Hawkesworth in 1773, which was republished in French the following year. Condition: On a sturdy sheet with light marginal soiling.

B. Le Potouroo. Caractere des Pattes et des Dents, by Anonymous, circa 1840 (6.6 x 3.8"). This unusual print shows a potoroo, a small marsupial often referred to as a kangaroo-rat. It depicts their claw-like paws and a profile of the creature's skull. Although they were once a common sight for early Australian settlers, all three remaining species of potoroo are on the verge of extinction. Condition: Minor soiling, mostly confined to the blank margins.

References:

Condition: A

See description above.