Lacertidae: Green Lizards.

Bory de Saint-Vincent, Jean-Baptiste Georges Marie [ Jean-Baptiste-Geneviève-Marcellin ] J.G Prêtre pinxt. - Guyard sculpt. Impre. de Langlois. Green Lizard; Wall Lizard; Peloponnese Wall Lizard; Algyroides moreoticus. " 1. Lézard vert. Lacerta virides. Daud.; 2 Lézard des murailles. Lacerta murales. Latr.; 3.Lézard des murailles, femelle.; 4. Lézard du Péloponèse .Lacerta Peloponesica. Bib. et Bory.;5. Algyroide Moreotique. Algyroïdes Moreoticus. Bib. et Bory." Paris et Strasbourg, F.G. Levrault 1832-6
Scarce original hand coloured lithograph of from Bory de Saint- Vincent's" Expédition scientifique de Morée, entreprise et publiée par ordre du gouvernement français. Travaux de la section des sciences physiques.."
The image shows 5 lizards with outline details of heads and legs.

The European green lizard Lacerta viridis is a large lizard distributed across European midlatitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, or sheltering amongst bushes.

The wall lizard Podarcis muralislives in the old walls , piles of stones, rocks, quarries, waste dumps , stumps and especially appreciates the rails or less frequented stations docks. This lizard is much more urban than other species.

The Peloponnese Wall Lizard, Podarcis peloponnesiacus was first described by Bibron & Bory de Saint-Vincent and as it name suggests is endemic to the Peloponnese

The Algyroides moreoticus first described by Bibron & Bory de Saint-Vincent, is endemic to Greece, occuring in the Peloponnese and the Ionian islands of Zakynthos to Kefalonia and Ithaca, its natural habitats are temperate forests and shrublands and plantations. Very light toning; scattered spotting; colors bright; tiny wormhole to lower right corner of plate; crease to upper right corner.

Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent (1778 – 1846)was a French naturalist.
He was sent as naturalist with Captain Nicolas Baudin's expedition to Australia in 1798, but left the vessel at Mauritius, and spent two years in exploring Réunion and other islands in the Indian Ocean. Joining the army on his return, he was present at the battle of Ulm and battle of Austerlitz, and in 1808 went to Spain with Marshal Soult.
His attachment to the Napoleonic dynasty and dislike to the Bourbons were shown in various ways during 1815, and his name was consequently placed on the list of the proscribed; after several years of exile, he was allowed to return quietly to Paris in 1820. In 1829 he headed a scientific expedition to the Peloponnese, and in 1839 he had charge of the exploration of Algeria.
Through all the vicissitudes of his life his literary activity was great, and he did a great deal for the popularization of his favourite science. He was editor of the Dictionnaire classigne d'histoire naturelle, and one of the principal authors of the Annales des sciences physiques; the official work on the Morea was produced under his care, and he contributed frequently to periodical publications.

The Morea expedition was the second of the great military-scientific expeditions led by France in the first half of the 19th century. The first, used as a benchmark, had been the Egyptian one, starting in 1798; the last took place in Algeria from 1839. All three took place at the initiative of the French government and were placed under the guidance of a particular ministry (Foreign relations for Egypt, Interior for the Morea and War for Algeria).The great scientific institutions recruited learned men (both civilians and from the military) and specified their missions, but in situ work took place in close co-operation with the army.
The members of the scientific expedition landed at Navarino on March 3, 1829, after 21 days at sea.

From 1829 to 1831, under the leadership of the naturalist, physical geographer and Colonel Jean-Baptiste-Geneviève-Marcellin Bory de Saint-Vincent (1778-1846) a large collaborative body of artists, antiquarians, botanists, draftsmen, geologists, and epigraphers carried out a geographic survey of the Peloponnesus. The mission was originally divided into three sections, one dealt with the physical sciences, the second with archaeology, and the third with architecture and sculpture. While the documentation of the ancient sites and monuments fell under the direction of the architect and antiquarian Guillaume Abel Blouet (1795-1853), the geographical survey was attached to the physical sciences section under Bory de Saint-Vincent.
Navari- Blackmer:169; 466 by 287mm (18¼ by 11¼ inches).   ref: 2844  €250