"Ideal Section of a Portion of the Earth's Crust, Intended to Shew the Order of Deposition of the Stratified Rocks... [in] Geology and Mineralogy Considered with Reference to Natural Theology (Vol II only)",

This large-scale folding chart, by Webster and Buckland, shows the rock strata of the earth's crust. This was one of the earliest attempts to visually integrate Steno's principle of superposition with William Smith's use of fossils to identify the age of rock strata. The chart shows younger sedimentary rocks overlying older metamorphic and igneous rocks, and recent volcanic deposits above previously deposited strata. Buckland added 120 striking illustrations of fossil and living organisms, arranging them from left to right above the rock layers according to their presumed age. Dinosaurs, not yet named and recognized, are represented by a horned Iguanodon. A Dodo bird is shown, along with a note that it had not been found alive since 1691.

The map is still bound into volume two of Buckland's 110 page Geology and Mineralogy Considered with Reference to Natural Theology with includes an additional 87 plates of fossils. First London edition. Octavo, hardbound in full contemporary leather with raised bands and title label on spine.

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Condition: B+

Condition code is for the long folding plate, which is very good with some light scattered foxing. The other plates have scattered foxing, and the text has some toning and foxing. Covers and spine are moderately worn and scuffed, and the front board is detached.