Sea Splendor: A Tapestry of Marine Life in the Mid-19th Century, 1845

In the two prints, a variety of marine organisms are depicted, predominantly from the echinoderm and mollusk phyla: **First Print:** 1. **Agathine zébrée** - Likely a gastropod with a zebra-like pattern on its shell. 2. **----- gland** - The name suggests a gastropod with a shell shape resembling a gland. 3. **----- columnaire** - Possibly referring to a shell with a columnar shape. 4. **Maillot bossu** - A shell with a humped or bulging appearance. 5. **Hélice conoïde** - A conical snail shell. 6. **----- natatoire** - The term implies a swimming or floating nature, likely a pelagic snail. 7. **----- planorbe** - Indicates a planispiral or coiled shell, characteristic of some gastropods. 8. **----- peson** - The name suggests a weight or pendulum, perhaps describing the shape of the shell. **Second Print:** 1. **Astérie vulgaire** - Commonly known as a starfish or sea star. 2. **Crinoïde lys-de-mer** - A crinoid, also known as a sea lily, which is an echinoderm with feathery arms. 3. **Oursin comestible** - An edible sea urchin. 4. **Spatangue velu** - A type of sea urchin known for its hairy appearance. 5. **Holothurie comestible** - An edible sea cucumber. 6. **Porpite géante** - Likely referring to a large porpita, a type of hydrozoan related to jellyfish. The detailed hand-colored engravings from Drapiez's 'Dictionnaire Classique des Sciences Naturelles' provide a rich visual record of these diverse sea creatures, showcasing their unique forms and structures as understood in the mid-19th century. …