Mammals · 19th century
€ 280
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good. Edge on the left side roughly cut. Aged paper with typically warm, yellowish-brown hue. Few minor foxing spots. Please study the image carefully.
The image portrays two rodent species native to Central and South America:
1. **Chloromys acuti**, likely a historical or alternate name for the agouti, which is now commonly classified under the genus Dasyprocta. Agoutis are small to medium-sized rodents known for their short tails and glossy brown fur. They have strong hind legs and are known for their agility and ability to run quickly.
2. **Cœlogenys subniger**, which refers to the paca, another type of rodent, also known in scientific nomenclature as Cuniculus paca. The paca is larger than the agouti, with distinctive spotted fur and chunky body. The paca depicted here has the characteristic dark spots against a lighter background, which are often seen on its sides.
The print is another hand-colored engraving from the 'Dictionnaire Classique des Sciences Naturelles' by Pierre Auguste Joseph Drapiez, published in 1845. These engravings were typical of the era, with naturalists seeking to document and illustrate the wide variety of animal life across the globe. The hand coloring brings depth and life to the illustrations, which would have been vital for those studying zoology before the advent of color photography.
