A PLAIN AND EASY ACCOUNT OF BRITISH FUNGI.
by M.C. COOKE. (a single small line). A coloured illustration of a bright orange 'Pexina Ourantia' mushroom). (a single small line). LONDON. ROBERT HRARDWICKE, 192, PICADILLY.
Second Edition. 12mo. 158 x 114 mm. Inside cover and 1fep in dark brown paper. Frontis of coloured illustration of two mushrooms on verso of fep. Ornate Title Page. [1] Second Title page dated 1871. [1] (1)iv Preface. 1p Contents. 1 p Adverts. 2p List of Coloured plates. (1)2-124. (1)126-162 The Tubular Arrangement of British fungi. (1)164-166 Index. Inside cover and fep in dark brown paper. Fully bound in pebble-grain green cloth. With an attractive blind-tooled cover and gilt illustration and gilt titles to the spine. All 24 hand-coloured lithographic plates present. Ver clean inside. Overall a very well-preserved copy.
- The author, (image # 1. below) Mordecai Cubitt Cooke; 1825 - 1914, was an English botanist and mycologist. Cooke came from a mercantile family and was born in Horning, Norfolk, and worked as an apprentice to a fabric merchant before becoming a clerk in a law firm, but his chief interest was in botany. He founded the Society of Amateur Botanists in 1862. He taught natural history at Holy Trinity National School, Lambeth, London and worked as a curator at the India Museum at India Office from 1860 to 1879. In 1879 when the botanical collections from the India Museum were transferred to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Cooke went with them. He received the Victoria Medal of Honour from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1902 and the Linnean Medal from the Linnean Society of London in 1903. He was awarded several honorary diplomas for his work, primarily with fungi, also a Master of Arts from St. Lawrence University in 1870, a Master of Arts from Yale University in 1873 and a doctorate from the New York University. His books are very well researched and presented and a pleasure to read.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11298