Lot 433: Phillips, William

Phillips, William
A Description of the Oxyd of Tin, the Production of Cornwall; of the Primitive Crystal and its Modifications, including an Attempt to ascertain with Precision, the Admeasurement of the Angles, by means of the Reflecting Goniometer of Dr. Wollanston: to which is added, a Series of it Crystalline Forms and Varieties. London: Printed for the [Geological] Society by William Phillips, 1814 -- [Bound with:] On the Veins of Cornwall. London: Printed for the [Geological] Society by William Phillips, 1814
2 works in one volume, folio (10 1/2 x 8 in.; 267 x 203 mm). 15 engraved plates; foxing throughout. Contemporary sheep-backed marbled boards, spine gilt, morocco label gilt; spine partially deteriorated, label chipped, joints cracked, covers and corners scuffed, shaken.
FIRST EDITIONS, BOTH INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR: "From the author." This pair of first editions both originally appeared in the Transactions of the Geological Society of London. William Phillips was the first to successfully exploit Dr. W.H. Wollaston's goniometer, discussing his findings in a series of papers concerning crystallography, one of which is included in the present work. Phillips "contributed about twenty-seven papers, mainly on mineralogy and with an emphasis on Cornish minerals, to the Transactions of the Geological Society of London and to other scientific journals. He also published three influential, standard textbooks, two on mineralogy and one mainly on stratigraphy, that enjoyed a great popularity" (DSB).