Cros-section of stone with fosils, 1775.

Coloured engraving from 'Marmora et adfines aliquos lapides' (Marble and Some Related Stones) by Adam Ludwig Wirsing (1733-1797) published in Nuremberg in 1775. Wirsing was an important engraver of natural history works. This book was originally published in parts and surviving copies can have variable numbers of hand-coloured plates in them. This copy has 56, the most complete has 98.