This is a fine hand-coloured steel engraving. Originally published between 1749 and 1790 for the most comprehensive 18th century French colour-plate series, Histoire Naturelle Generale et Particuliere avec la description du cabinet du roi (Natural History, General and Particular with the description of the King's collection), by Georg-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788).
In 1785, Buffon appointed Lacepede sub-demonstrator at the Jardin du Roi in Paris, and proposed that Lacepede continue publication of Buffon’s work. When the Jardin du Roi was re-organised as the Jardin du Plantes, Lacepede was appointed to the head the study of reptiles and fish. From 1798 to 1803 he published his Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Lacepede’s Histoire naturelle des quadrupèdes ovipares, serpents, poissons et cétacées was published in Paris in 1825 by Eymery.
The engraved page size is 20 x 13 cm ( 8 x 5 inches) The paper has slight age discolouration.