This is a web page in progress. I hope to illustrate several classic herpetological texts. Eventually I would like to create a history of herpetological illustration. This will take some time, but in the mean time you can enjoy the illustrations from these books.
Miscellaneous 18th Century illustrations
Owen, Charles. 1742. An Essay Towards a Natural History of Serpents. Privately published, London, xiv, 240, (12), 7 plates. Quarto.
Roesel von Rosenhof, August Johann. (1753-)1758. Historia naturalis Ranarum nostratium / Die natürliche Historie der Frösche hiesigen Landes. Johann Joseph Fleischmann, Nürnberg, (10), viii, 115, 48 engraved plates (24 colored), 1 colored, engraved frontis, 8 vignettes. Folio.
Lier, Johannes van. 1781. Verhandelingen over de Drentsche Slangen en Adders. Traite des Serpens et des Viperes qu'on trouve dans le Pays de Drenthe. Houtuin en L. Huisingh, Amsterdam, vii, 372, 3 plates.
Lacepède, B.-G.-É. 1788-1789. Historie Naturelle des Quadrupèdes Ovipares et des Serpens. (several editions)
Cloquet, Hippolyte. (1816-1830). Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles. Planches. 2e. Partie: Régne Organisé Zoologie. Poissons et Reptiles. F.G. Levrault, Paris, 16, 85 Poissons plates, 37 Reptiles plates, 3 Reptile fossils plates. (series edited by Georges Cuvier)
Van der Hoeven, Jan. 1867. Ontleed- en Dierkundige Bijdragen tot de kennis van Menobranchus, den Proteus der meren van Nord-Amerika. E.J. Brill, Leiden, iv, 40, 3 plates (1 partially colored).
Günther, Albert C. L. G. 1885-1902. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Reptilia and Batrachia. xx, 326 pages, 76 plates (12 in color).
Cope, Edward D. 1876. "On the Batrachia and Reptilia of Costa Rica"; "On the Batrachia and Reptilia collected by Dr. John M. Branford during the Nicaraguan Canal Survey of 1874"; and "Report on the Reptiles brought by Professor James Orton from the middle and upper Amazon and western Peru". Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. N.S. 8 (2):93-183, 6 plates.
Other intersting sites:
Southern Nature: Scientific Views of the Colonial American South
Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral: Natural History Books by Ten Authors
The Academy of Natural Sciences: Gallery of Images from the Collection
Other links of interest:
Tankens Bilder: Images of Thought. Contains some Roesel von Rosenhof plates.
Beautiful Birds: Masterpieces of the Hill Ornithology Collection. Cornell University Library
A Hundred Highlights from the Koninklijke Bibliotheek This site includes a page for Merian and a page for Seba.
Wonder Bound Smithsonian Institution Libraries
