Amsterdam, P. Meijer,1768-1774. Three engraved plates. 4to (25.5 x 21.3 cm). Each printed and additionally coloured in a contemporary hand.

A complete set of herpetological (ophidiological) plates from Vosmaer's major zoological work dealing with exotic animals from the private zoo of prince William V of The Netherlands, of which Vosmaer (1720-1799) was the director. The plates are titled as follows: surinaamsche ratelslang (published in 1768) [Surinamese rattle snake]; africaansche worm-hagedisch [African worm-lizard], platstaart slangen [flat-tailed seasnakes] (both published in 1774). As noted by Adler, the seasnakes are not illustrated in their natural habitat. All other parts in Vosmaer's work deal either with mammals, or birds. Vosmaer's descriptions are very accurate, as are the engravings, made after living specimens. Some had not been described previously, and several were used as a basis for valid descriptions, by others, according to the Linnaean system. Vosmaer himself was not a Linnaean. Most of the illustrations were engraved by the Dutch etcher and engraver Simon Fokke (1712-1784) after designs by the Dutch painter Aert - or Aart - Schouman (1710-1792) who was renowned for his portraits, landscape paintings, glass-engravings, and - above all - for his fine zoological illustrations. Slight soiling to the margins, otherwise very good. Adler 3, pp. 33-34; Landwehr, 204; Nissen ZBI, 4293; Wood, p. 615.