Halberstadt, Carl Brüggemann; Pesth, Otto Wigand, [no date but circa 1830]. One volume in two. Large 8vo (24.9 x 16.0 cm). 100, [iv] pp.; 74 hand-coloured engraved plates including a pictorial title page. Uniform contemporary half morocco over marbled boards. Spines with two (red, light blue) morocco labels with gilt titles and ornamental borders. Yellow edges.

A rare work. It forms part of a series on various groups of animals, but this is the whole herpetological section. There is a title page to the atlas only - the text volume has a drophead title. Other parts, including the one on fishes, were written by Anton Benedikt Reichenbach (1807-1880), and he might be the author of this part as well. Some other parts were written by C. A. A. Buhle. Even Nissen did not know if the Amphibian part was done by Reichenbach or by Buhle. A detailed collation is as follows: plate [1] is the frontispiece; plates 2-13 contain figs [1]-42 (tortoises); plates 14-28 figs [1]-59; 6a-b, 9a-b; 34a-i (crocodiles and lizards); plates 29-35 figs 1-28 (frogs and toads); plate 36 figs 1-2 (lizards); and plates 37-74 figs 1-89 (snakes). There is no plate number 54, and there are two different plates numbered LII; numbering of the figures, however, is consecutive and therefore the plate numbering must be erroneous and this copy is complete. Boards rubbed, more so at corners, spine tops abraded, front hinge top of the plate volume starting. Text pages age-toned; a few more or less minor issues: tear (repaired) in the atlas title page; endpapers with some tears, a few spots and smudges to several plates, a few plate numbers and captions shaved. Latin names added in ink after the German plate captions, and/or next to the figures, otherwise very good and complete. Nissen ZBI, 4715.