GEORGE MARC GRAVE 269 





■J-l 



Fig. 4. Photograph of the Oil Painting of 'Narinari. 



Piso where a fuller description can be found, also there are references 

 to the water-color collection. 19 



For this collection Dr. Mentzel had an illuminated title page 

 painted, which is reproduced herein as Fig. 5. It seems that consid- 

 erable time was expended in working out a classification of this collec- 

 tion, for the title page is dated 1660, the preface 1664. Through the 

 courtesy of Dr. Perlbach, of the Royal Library of Berlin, this photo- 

 graph of the title page and a copy of Mentzel's preface have been re- 

 ceived. The latter unfortunately gives no additional data. However, 



Science owes him thanks that he, in this fashion when they had almost per- 

 ished, preserved the chief memorials of this expedition to Brazil. (Liehtenstein.) 



In this manner was preserved to posterity this invaluable collection 

 of paintings. However they remained practically unknown for 150 

 years until Liehtenstein in 1814-17 in the Abhandlungen of the Berlin 

 Academy made known their great worth. His first paper is preceded 

 by an historical account and a critical discussion of the work of Marc- 

 grave and Piso in* Brazil which have been a source of inspiration and 

 have supplied much data to the present writer. Then he follows with 

 a critical discussion of both text and figures in the "Natural History 

 of Brazil." 



The water-color drawings are also preserved in the Royal Library 

 of Berlin, but it is not clear just how they came thither. However in 

 working out the data found in Driesen. the following interesting facts 



19 See Fig. 4, the spotted sting-ray. Narinari, previously described. 



