PROFUSELY EMBELLISHED

We have books all over our house. Every room. Almost every horizontal surface. But I keep one shelf, appropriately in the main library, for the older books in our collection.

Marvels of Natural History, published in 1897, is among my favorites. I have to confess I have never read it. Not like my collection of John Kendrick Bangs which I read frequently. Nope. I only read the descriptions under the engravings. Here are some of my favorites:

"A HUGE BONE-PLATED ANIMAL" appears under a big lizard from the Sea Reptiles chapter.

"FAMOUS BACTRIAN CAMEL" under the famous bactrian camel. What he's famous for doing, it doesn't say.

"ELEPHANT" under an elephant sweeping the forest floor with a broom in his trunk. Why is he not famous?

"WHITE ANTS AND THEIR SINGULAR DWELLING" accompanies a cross section of what is also known as a termite mound.

"THE FLAMINGO'S STRANGE NEST" precedes "A WREN'S BEAUTIFUL NEST" which always makes me think of growing up with my sister, tucking my head under my wing, and standing on one leg.

Also, there is an entire chapter devoted to Wild Asses and another to the Titmouse. (Yes, I am 12 on the inside.)

The engravings are amazing but the binding is terribly fragile. So fragile, in fact, that I am often tempted to frame a few of the pages. If I can ever bring myself to take a page out, the centerpiece of the display will be the first page inside the cover. There are no images on the page but here is what it says:

MARVELS OF NATURAL HISTORY

CONTAINING A

COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

INCLUDING

MONSTERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD; WILD ANIMALS OF THE TROPICS AND POLAR REGIONS; BEAUTIFUL BIRDS; CURIOUS INSECTS AND MARVELOUS FISHES

EMBRACING

Their Habits, Modes of Life and Striking Peculiarities

THE WHOLE FORMING

A CAPTIVATING DESCRIPTION OF THE MOST WONDERFUL AND INSTRUCTIVE FEATURES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

BY

HENRY DAVENPORT NORTHRUP

Author of "Earth, Sea and Sky," "From Pole to Pole," "Museum of Wonders," Etc., Etc.

PROFUSELY EMBELLISHED WITH SUPERB ENGRAVINGS

I know this was put in the book to function as a way to entice the reader into buying the book. It is not actually part of the book proper. The fact remains it is my favorite page. I find it such a wonderful example of marketing history that I can't get past it to even read the book! Plus, I hear the page in Yul Brynner's voice. Etc., Etc., Etc.