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Lot No :

AN ACCOUNT OF INDIAN SERPENTS,COLLECTED ON THE COAST OF COROMANDEL


Estimate: Rs 2,50,000-Rs 3,50,000 ( $3,790-$5,305 )


NON-EXPORTABLE

FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST PUBLISHED WORK ON INDIAN SNAKES

TITLE: An accent of Indian Serpents, collected on the Coast of Coromandel; containing descriptions and drawings of each pieces; together with experiments and remarks on their several poisons
AUTHOR: Patrick Russell, M.D.F.R.S
PUBLISHER: For George Nicol, Bookseller to his Majesty
PLACE: London
YEAR: 1796
BINDING: Leather-bound
NO.OF PAGES: 91 including 44 hand color aquatint plates and 2 b &w aquatint plates covered with tissue guards
SIZE:
Height: 53.5 cm
Width: 38 cm
Depth: 3.2 cm

'In 1781, after his younger brother Claud had been appointed administrator of Vizagapatam, Russell accompanied him to India, and in November 1785 he succeeded the Dane John Gerard Koenig as botanist to the East India Company in the Carnatic. In this capacity he made large collections of specimens and drawings of the plants, fishes, and reptiles of the country and he proposed to the governor of Madras in 1785 that the company's medical officers and others should be officially requested to collect specimens and information concerning useful plants of the various districts of India. In 1787 he drew up a preliminary memoir on the poisonous snakes of the Coromandel coast, which was printed officially at Madras ... [In 1794] he wrote the preface to the Plants of the Coast of Coromandel by William Roxburgh, a sumptuous work published at the expense of the East India Company, and one outcome of his own recommendations made ten years before. In 1796 he published on the same scale, at the cost of the company, the first fascicle of his Account of Indian Serpents in folio, with forty-six plates, forty-four of which were the product of a huge collaborative enterprise in which Russell enlisted the help of other company servants. Russell's Account also relied heavily on Indian knowledge, although he subjected local wisdom to the trial of experiment and his own observations' (ODNB). Nissen ZBI; Wood p.546.

This lot will be sold in "as is" condition.
There may be some minor tears/creases scratches, or holes commensurate with age that may not be visible in the images.

The books on sale in this auction are rare, out-of-print and otherwise collectible, dating from the 19th century on wards. The technology and material for printing and binding books has evolved over the last few centuries. From being the exclusive preserve of Clergy and Kings to an item of everyday application, the availability and use of books has also evolved over time. Books age over time and deterioration in a book's condition depends on many factors, including the original materials used and conditions of usage over time. Books will often show signs of foxing, fading, shelf-ware or dust jacket damage through usage. Prolonged storage may also cause wormhole damage or water stains.

The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Storyltd shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.