The Glass Snake (Anguis ventralis)

Catesby combined copper‑plate etching with fine engraving to achieve detailed line work, then applied watercolor by hand to accentuate the snake’s pale body and surrounding vegetation. The use of laid paper provides a subtle texture that supports the delicate rendering of the creature’s anatomy.

The print forms part of Catesby’s monumental series for *Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands*, a multi‑volume work issued between 1729 and 1747 containing 220 illustrated plates. The series was produced during Catesby’s extensive field observations in the American colonies.

Catesby’s publication represented one of the earliest comprehensive visual surveys of New World wildlife, bridging European scientific tradition with firsthand observation. His depictions, including this glass snake, supplied European scholars with rare visual data on species previously unknown to them.