Portunus reticulatus from Herbst's Versuch einer Naturgeschichte der Krabben und Krebse
Ampullaria scullaris d'orb and canaliculata from Orbigny's Voyage dans l'Amérique méridionale
Voluta magnifica (Cymbiola magnifica) from Martini's Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet
Echinidea from Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur
Panulirus homarus and nymph from Herbst's Versuch einer Naturgeschichte der Krabben und Krebse
Ctenophorae from Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur
Nacromedusae from Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur
Nautilus dissectus, from Martini's Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet
Frontispiece from Martini's Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, Volume I, with Neptune being hoisted by mermaids, horses pulling chariot
This hand-colored copper plate illustration from Versuch einer Naturgeschichte der Krabben und Krebse by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst (1743-1807) shows the compelling Portunus reticulatus in beautiful detail. This image, along with five others from Herbst’s work are examined in A Beautiful Harvest: Herbst’s Crabs and Crayfish, an essay written for Natural Histories by Bella Galil, research associate in the AMNH Division of Invertebrate Zoology and a senior scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography in Haifa, Israel.
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View all images from the book Natural Histories: Extraordinary Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History