Reptiles vivants et fossiles (the hand-colored plate version)

Pp. (1)-82; 19 engraved hand-colored plates, 1 engraved plain plate of fossil reptiles (all plates have tissue guards and are after paintings and drawings by Paul Oudart).  Publisher’s original one-quarter green cloth over dark-green marbled boards, lg 8vo (16 cm width x 25 cm height).  Published in the series: Bibliotheque des Sciences Naturelles.  This volume is a compilation of herpetological essays on reptiles and amphibians previously published by Paul Gervais.  These essays are grouped together here and reissued in book form along with hand-colored plates that were originally published in Dictionnaire Universel d’Histoire Naturelle (1839-1849), edited by Charles d’Orbigny.  The volume offered here was issued in two versions, one with hand-colored plates (as seen in this copy), and the other with plain plates.  According to Kraig Adler, this volume is remembered today for its well-executed hand-colored plates.  This work is from the research library of herpetologist Kraig Adler with his signature on the half-title page and his small bookplate on the front pastedown.  Additionally, at the top of the front free endpaper is the small name stamp of herpetologist ‘Arden H. Brame, Jr., Herpetological Library.’  Many of the text pages are uncut and unopened.