Fine original hand-coloured lithographic plate printed by Graf & Soret. 480 x 347mm. (19 x 13.75ins).

The work was a major contribution to the study of natural history in the Indian subcontinent. General Hardwicke spent nearly forty years of service in India, and the illustrations were largely engraved, based on drawings made on the spot mainly from living specimens. Both English and ‘native’ artists were employed under Hardwicke's immediate supervision. This plate is certainly one of the most desirable.
The prospectus to the work stated that the edition was to be limited to 250 copies, but the list of subscribers accounts for only 101, forty of whom were directors of the East India Company.