Sea creatures, 1775-1781

Sea creatures, 1775-1781. Hand-coloured engraving of: 1) and 3) burrowing bivalve molluscs; 2) univalve of 'the worm family'; 4) univalve of the whelk family from America, also known as the 'spindle' or 'Tower of Babel'; 5) multivalve from America; 6) 'poussepied'; 7) and 9) exterior and interiror of a multivalve known as 'Oscabrion' from America; 8) purpura (univalve gastropod mollusc). Illustration from 'Premiere [-seconde] centurie de planches enluminŽes et non enluminŽes representant au naturel ce qui se trouve de plus interessant et de plus curieux parmi les animaux, les vegetaux et les mineraux, pour servir d'intelligence ¿ l'Histoire generale des trois regnes de la nature'. This work on the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms of nature, by Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz (1731-1807), was published in Paris between 1775 and 1781. ©SSPL/Science Museum