Geological and Paleaontological Map of the British Isles

Two beautiful double-page sheets combine to make one remarkable map of the British Isles. One map is titled "Geological and Paleontological Map of the British Isles," while the other is named "Paleontological Map." These maps effectively divide the British Isles into northern and southern halves. They were included in the second edition of Johnston's Physical Atlas of Natural Phenomena, published in 1856 by William Blackwood & Sons in Edinburgh. Professor Edward Forbes, F.R.S. of Kings College London, provided the sketches and notes that Johnston used to create these maps.

Johnston opted for a lavish illustration approach. The first map features the skull and antlers of an Irish elk at the top center, with the heading 'Tertiary and Post Tertiary Mammalia' positioned between the antlers. Nearby, depictions of fossils from ancient mammalian creatures, including hyenas, mammoths, and cave lions that once inhabited the British Isles and whose fossils have been discovered there, can be found.

On the left of the central illustrations, images of various fish fossils from the Pleistocene Era are presented. The upper right section showcases images of fossilized vertebrates labeled as 'Secondary Reptiles.' Below these images, a map of the northern portion of the British Isles is featured. The second map focuses on the lower portion of the Isles and is also adorned with beautiful illustrations. Covering approximately the lower half of the Isles, this map highlights groups of ammonites, primarily categorized as 'Lower Secondary.' Both maps include numerous insets providing scientific information about the depicted features and extensive details about the life of past geologic periods as understood from fossil remains.

Accompanying the map is the original letterpress description from the atlas that  discusses in detail the methodology, science, and theory used in creating a cartographic work of this scope.