Lacepède's work on Quadrpèdes Ovipares (Reptiles
and Amphibians) and Serpents was originally published in 1788-1789
as part of Buffon's Histoire Naturelle, générale
et particulière, avec la description du cabinet du roi.
These sections by Lacepède, as well as his sections of
Cétacées and Poissons were subsequently reprint
numerous times over the next 100 years.
In discussing the first edition of this work Adler (1989, p. 14)
states: "This was the first comprehensive world summary of
amphibians and reptiles and while it contains still-useful historical
information, the illustrations are poor. And, while it far exceeded
the earlier attempt of J. N. Laurenti (1768), it showed no advance
in the natural arrangement of genera. The nomenclature is inconsistently
binomial, and in 1987 the International Commission on Zoological
Nomenclature declared that Lacepède's section on snakes
(only!) is unavailable for nomenclatural purposes, except for
a few conserved names."
Of this work, Vanzolini (1977) said: "...it was a great success
from the beginning. It underwent several translations and adaptations
(see the British Museum Catalogue) and was only superseded in
influence by the Erpétologie Générale, whose
first volume appeared in 1837.
The illustrations in this book vary depending on the edition and the publisher. I will attempt to provide the illustrations from several of these editions, as they become available to me.
Lacepède, B.-G.-É. 1788-1789. Historie Naturelle des Quadrupèdes Ovipares et des Serpens. Hôtel de Thou, Paris, 2 volumes: 18, 651, 41 plates; 20, 56, 527, 22 plates, 1 large foldout table. Quarto.
Lacépède, B.-G.-É.
1841. Histoire Naturelle de Lacépède
comprenant les Cétacés, les Quadrupèdes Ovipares,
les Serpents et les Poissons. Furne, Paris, vol. I: xii, 668,
24 plates; vol. II: (4), 647 12 plates. Quarto, Colored plates.
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