Leibnitz, Gottfried Wilhelm; Svmmi Polyhistoris Godefridi Gvilielmi Leibnitii Protogaea Sive De Prima Facie Tellvris Et Antiqvissimae Historiae Vestigiis In Ipsis Na- tvrae Monvmentis Dissertatio Ex Schedis Manvscriptis Viri Illvstris In Lvcem Edita A Christiano Lvdovico Scheidio. Goettingae Svmptibvs Ioh. Vil. Schmidii Bibliopolae Vniversit. A.S.H. 1749. Quarto, pp. Titlte page in red/black, dedication, xxvi, Conspectvs Totivs Operis., 86 pages of text.; 12 folding plates.

This rare work is complete and in a contemporary calf and marbled boards with gilt spine titles and panels. The binding is tight, front inner hinge a bit weak, board edges chipped, text with light foxing, moderate on title page. In very good condition.

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Leibnitz, (1646-1716), was a German philosopher, mathematician, and historian and contemporary of Isaac Newton. He is considered to be among the giant thinkers of the 17th-century. Leibniz believed in "pre-established harmony" between matter and mind, and developed a philosophy of Rationalism by which he attempted to reconcile the existence of matter with the existence of God.
In 1675 Leibnitz made his most important scientific discovery, the differential and integral calculus which became the basis for modern mathematics. Historians have agreed that both Leibnitz and Newton discovered the basic foundations of calculus independently, Newton first, but Leibniz's publication preceded that of Newton. Leibniz's system of notation is superior to that of Newton, and is still in use today.
For the historian of geology his “Protogaea” is considered a classic. In it, Leibnitz accepts the Cartesian view, that primitive matter has a fluid consistency owing to the tremendous initial heat and that the earth's spherical form was derived from the aggregation of whirling ultimate elements or "monads" of matter. 
In place of the Cartesian principle of momentum, Leibnitz starts from a dynamical basis and assumes a force accomplished the separation of light from darkness or as he also expressed it the separation of the more "active" elements of the universe from the more "passive." 
The part dealing with mineralogy is much more practical as he became acquainted with the mines of the Harz in Germany and he gives account of the mode of occurence of metals, minerals and fossils in Hannover and Brunswick.
The first attempt at this work during his lifetime was published in only 3 pages in the Acta Eruditorum in 1693 without the plates. 
The full work remained in a manuscript form until it was posthumously published in 1749. 
The plates consist of the following subjects: I. Minerals and fossils, cave cross-section. II. Fossil fish. III-V. Fossil shells. VI. Fossil teeth. VII. Reproduction of Steno's shark's head and teeth plate. VIII. Fossils. IX. Fossil shells. X. Fossils. XI. Fossil skull and fossil teeth. XII. Mastadon tooth and the proposed fossil skeleton of a unicorn. 
The complete work is very rare.