Mease, James; A Geological Account of the United States; Comprehending a Short Description of their Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Productions, Antiquities and Curiosities. 1st edition, Philadelphia, Birch & Small, 1807. Octavo, pp. 8, 496, xiv, 5 plates.

The work is complete and in a recent leather binding with gilt titles. The binding is tight and clean, the text is lightly toned throughout. Over all in very good condition.
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Mease was a physician educated at the Univ. of Pennsylvania. He was born in Philadelphia in 1771 and died there in 1846. Mease was the first vice-president of the Philadelphia Athenaeum and an active member of the American Philosophical Society. During two tours of the States he kept a diary of his observations on the geology and natural history and wrote the above work. Mease provides a general geographical description of the States, and also provides a geological, botanical & zoological overview. There are chapters on climate and topography with a description of the Western Country or Mississippi Valley, as well as on minerals, fossils, natural bridges and other features. Twenty-five pages contain a catalogue of minerals. He divides the country into: granitic region, sandstone region, calcareous region, sea sand region, and river aluvials. Two of the plates depict the Natural Bridge at Cedar Creek, Virginia.