First Fleet artwork collection

Single spiral-shaped shell, its spire to the right and aperture to the left. The brown foot of the mollusc and its grey operculum are visible in the aperture. The shell is predominantly coloured grey with a pale chestnut brown inner lip, and brown stripes on the outer lip. The drawing has been signed by Watling, and annotated in brown ink on both the front and the reverse.

• Thomas Watling]
• The drawing is inscribed in blue pencil at top right with the number "321", which refers to the pre-1984 numbering system for the Watling Collection.
• The drawing is inscribed in brown ink at the bottom "The Native name of this shell is Nag-ga-rang. This shell which is very common in New South Wales, is about the Natural size though many are to be met with much larger and smaller, as will be seen by the great variety I have sent to Thos Wilson Esqr Gower street Bedford square London to whom I have sent the other varieties of Shells which I collected in this country."
• The drawing is signed in brown ink at centre right "Thom: Watling, delt.-", but is undated.
• The drawing is annotated on the reverse in brown ink on ruled pencil lines, but the edges of the text have been lost where the drawing has been cropped. What remains reads "This shell which is very common & numerous in N. S. Wale /Natural Size tho' many are to be met with much larger & by the great variety I have sent Thos. Wilson Esq. Bedford Square to whom I have sent the other varieties from this Country - ". This text has been copied onto the front of the drawing.
• The mollusk was identified as the Red Australwelk, Charonia rubicunda, by Tom Iredale, 'History of New South Wales Shells Part III: The Settlement Years (continued): Thomas Watling, Artist', Proceedings, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1956-7 pp. 162-169 (1958).
• The author of this catalogue record is Suzanne Stenning.
• By permission of the trustees of the Natural History Museum (London)
• Two sets of transparencies held in the Natural History Museum (London) Zoology Library and Picture Library: Picture Library reference number 12387
• James Lee of Kensington : purchased ; 1902
• Data sheet available
• Iredale, Tom, 'History of New South Wales Shells Part III: The Settlement Years (continued): Thomas Watling, Artist', Proceedings, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1956-7 pp. 162-169 (1958).