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John Gould (1804-1881) John Gould was an English ornithologist, publisher and businessman, who published the first comprehensive accounts of the Birds of Australia (1840-48) and Mammals of Australia (1845-63), illustrating each species with a splendid hand-coloured plate. As this was only 50 years since the British had first colonised the continent, it was a most remarkable scientific achievement. In order to undertake the project, Gould had travelled to Australia where he lived for two years from 1838-40. Taking another collector, John Gilbert (1812-1845) with him, together they collected in nearly every Australian state. Gilbert returned to Australia in 1842 for a second time, collecting more specimens for Gould until he was murdered in 1845. At first, Gould had only been interested in the birds of Australia, as this was his chosen speciality. His first reaction to the sight of the extraordinary Australian mammal fauna however was to exclaim 'so many wonders in the shape of animal creation!', and he could not resist the temptation to also collect mammals and write a book about them.
John Gilbert had worked under Gould at the Zoological Society of London's Museum, where Gould worked as the taxidermist. Gilbert collected important new species in Australia for Gould and supplied extensive field notes, which proved an invaluable source of biological data for Gould's books. It was Gilbert who caught the Pig-footed Bandicoot in Western Australia in 1843 and sent a preserved skin back to Gould with brief descriptive notes.
Gould never saw a Pig-footed Bandicoot in real life, but from studying the skins collected by Gilbert and his familiarity with similar animals, Gould was able to sketch out the important and diagnostic features of the species. For this drawing, he depicted three animals in a lively grouping, using pencil and coloured chalks heightened with black chalk to create an atmospheric rendition of the arid habitat in which they were found.
The first specimen of the Pig-footed Bandicoot (Chaeropus ecaudatus)was caught by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1836 on the banks of the Murray River in Australia. When the dead specimen arrived in England, it was named ecaudatus (Latin for 'without tail') as it lacked a tail. It was only after more specimens had been collected and compared with Mitchell's, did it become apparent that Mitchell's specimen was an imperfect example that had lost its tail. The name of the new species had already been published in the scientific literature however, and by the rules governing zoological nomenclature, it meant that it could not be altered, even though the name was subsequently found to be misleading. Pig-footed Bandicoots are delicate little marsupials, characterised by long, pointed heads and compact bodies. The legs are long and slender, an adaptation usually associated with speed of movement, and the two centre digits of the front legs are fused, like a pig's cloven trotter, hence the name 'Pig-footed' Bandicoot. The coat colour is orange-brown above and fawn underneath. The body measures about 25 cm long, and the animal has a long tail. Little is known about the biology of the Pig-footed Bandicoot particularly as it became extinct from the early twentieth century when the spread of agriculture led to habitat loss and contributed to its decline. Prior to its decline, naturalists had found it in varied habitats from sand dunes, grassland and woodland, in Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory. Its tooth and gut structure indicate it was a herbivorous feeder and it built nests using leaves. Like all marsupials, the female possessed a pouch for protection of the young.
The John Gould Drawings Collection The original drawing of the Pig-footed Bandicoot was one of three drawings of Australian mammals by John Gould purchased by the Library at the Natural History Museum in 1991. Gould was a prolific artist and the majority of his work is held in other collections. The Library however possesses some of his sketches of British birds made in about 1865, which are bound up in his notes for The Birds of Great Britain (1862-73). In addition, there is a further collection of unpublished pencil sketches of exotic birds in an album that formerly belonged to Sir William Jardine.
Exhibition and publication details This particular drawing was published in The Mammals of Australia, vol. 1, pl. 6, 1845, lithographed by H.C. Richter after Gould's drawing. Gould, J. ([1845-] 1863) The Mammals of Australia. London. 3 vols.
References and further reading Fisher, C. T. (1988) An unpublished drawing of the Pig-footed Bandicoot by John Gould and H.C. Richter, with comments of Museum Specimens. Australian zoologist, vol. 24, pp.205-209. Jackson, C. E. (1978) H. C. Richter - John Gould's unknown bird artist. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History, vol. 9, pp. 10-14. Lambourne, M. (1987) John Gould the Bird Man. Osberton: Milton Keynes. 112pp. McEvey, A. R. (1973) John Gould's contribution to British art: a note on its authenticity. Sydney University Press: Sydney. 28pp. Sauer, G. C. (1982) John Gould the bird man: a chronology and bibliography. Sotheran: London. 416pp. Sauer, G. C. and Datta, A. (1998-2001) John Gould the bird man : correspondence : with a chronology of his life and works. In 4 vols. Maurizio Martino Publisher: USA. 622pp. Strahan, R. (ed) (1983) The Australian Museum Complete
Book of Australian Tree, I. (1991) The ruling passion of John Gould: a biography
of the Bird Man. Barrie & Jenkins : London. 250pp.
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