Vosmaer, A.
Description de deux petits alcyons des Indes Orientales, très-beaux, a queuë courte, ayant deux doigts devant, & un derrière; admirable, n'ayant presque point de queuë, pourû de deux doigts de devant, & de deux derrière; lesquels se conservent dans le cabinet de son altesse sérénissime monseigneur le prince d'Orange et de Nassau, Stadhouder héréditaire, gouverneur, capitaine général et admiral des Provinces-Unies des Pais-Bas, &c. &c. &c.
Amsterdam, Pierre Meijer, 1768. 4to (27.1 x 21.0 cm). Title page, seven pp.; text vignette, one finely engraved plate in contemporary hand-colouring.
A part from the rare French edition of Aernout Vosmaer (1720-1799), Natuurkundige Beschryving eener uitmuntende Verzameling van zeldsaame gedierten. Especially rare in original hand-colouring. This part describes and figures two kingfishers from the East Indies. The plate was drawn by Aert Schouman (1710-1792), a Dutch artist renowned for his portraits, landscape paintings, glass-engravings, and - above all - for his fine zoological illustrations. The engraving was done by the famous copper engraver Simon Fokke (1712-1784). In 1795 the collection was brought to Paris as a war trophy (Pieters). A very good, clean copy. Landwehr, 205; Nissen ZBI, 4294; Pieters, F. (1980) Notes on the menagerie and zoological cabinet of Stadholder William V of Holland, directed by Aernout Vosmaer.
