BUCKLAND, Francis T. (1826 -1880). Curiosities of Natural History. London: Richard Bentley & Son., 1891. Fourth series (only). Small 8vo. Full blue decorative binding with armorial gilt stamping to front board, tooled spine with morocco title label, marbled endpapers and marbled edges. Owned by Houdini and kept as part of his famous library; the book is SIGNED BY HOUDINI on the title page in the upper margin: "H Houdini." 

This treatise describes oddities of all types, including Chang the Chinese Giant, various fossils and bones, The Indian Rope Trick (underlined in ink in the table of contents, possibly by Houdini), mummies, Barnum's Feejee Mermaid, and much more. 

The bookplate of De Vega (Alex Stewart), Houdini's friend and spiritualism-investigator, is affixed to the front pastedown, indicating that this volume may have been a gift from one magician to the other. In the upper margin of the plate, Stewart has written the phrase "very rare."

The author was involved with Herr Martin Tolmaque and a rope tie challenge, which is mentioned in the book. Buckland wrote a laudatory article for Field magazine, the text of which is reproduced here. Buckland was also a supporter of Tolmaque in later years during his anti-Davenport Brothers campaign. The reference to Tolmaque appears on page 98 of the book. 

Rubbing to extremities, one large chip and one small chip to rear board, else very good to near fine.