Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, made under the direction of the Secretary of War in 1853-1855, Volume XII, Book II

Pp. 399; 42 full page lithographed plates (8 are hand-colored lithographs birds, all other plates are monochrome).  There are 6 botany plates, 2 insect plates, 5 mammal plates, 8 bird plates (hand-colored) and 21 plates of fish. Publisher’s original one-quarter brown leather, spine with black morocco title/author label, over blue marbled boards, lg 4to.  This is the second volume (Book II) of volume XII of the Explorations and surveys were made under the direction of the Secretary of War, in 1853-1855.  Book II includes two parts: Part II (Botany) and Part III (Zoology).  The Botany section has three parts: no. 1 – Report upon the Botany of the route by J. G. Cooper; no. 2 – Catalogue of Plants collected east of the Rocky Mountains by Asa Gray; and no. 3 – Catalogue of Plants collected in Washington territory by J. G. Cooper.  The Zoology section has seven parts: no. 1 – Report upon the Insects collected on the survey by J. LeConte; no. 2 – Report upon the Mammals collected on the survey by J. G. Cooper et al; no. 3 – Report upon the Birds collected on the survey by J. G. Cooper et al.; no. 4 – Report upon Reptiles collected on the survey by J. G. Cooper; no. 5 – Report upon the Fishes collected on the survey by G. Suckley, no. 6 – Report upon the Mollusca collected on the  survey; and no. 7 – Report upon Crustacea collected on the survey by J. G. Cooper.  This is the House of Representatives issue of the 36rd Congress, 1st Session.  No ownership marks and few signs of use.