A rare 1936 1st edition copy of ‘China’s Natural History’, by Arthur de Carle Sowerby, published by the Royal Asiatic Society, North China Branch and printed by The Mercury Press, Shanghai.

Arthur de Carle Sowerby (8 July 1885 – 16 August 1954; Chinese: 苏柯仁; pinyin: Sū Ke Ren) was a British naturalist, explorer, writer, and publisher in China. His father was Arthur Sowerby (15 October 1857 – 27 June 1934. A leading naturalist of his day, Arthur de Carle Sowerby was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi, to a Baptist missionary. In the early 20th century, he began collecting specimens for the Taiyuan museum of natural history and subsequently joined the zoological Bedford expedition in 1906. Having served with the Chinese Labour Corps during the First World War, he returned to China and settled in Shanghai, where he founded the China Journal of Science and Arts. He was President of the North China branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1935-1940 as well as Honourary Director of the Shanghai Museum.

The book is in good condition with some loosening to the spine and dusting, ageing and staining to the pages and binding. Original green cloth binding with black lettering. Richly illustrated in colour and black and white plates.

I bought this copy from a licenced bookseller while living in Shanghai in 1983.