Acer palmatum, although there are more than 100 species of maple worldwide, only one species (Acer campestre) is native to the UK.

Skip to page content

Natural history

Image 158 of 508
  previous page next page

"Little Bittern", native name "Go-ning-nak"
Artist: Port Jackson Painter
Created: [between 1788 and 1797]
Dimensions: 23.9 x 16 cm
Reference: Watling Drawing - no. 308

 
hide detailed image description

Bird in profile, facing to the right. It is depicted standing on a green - yellow mound with grey serpentine lines, in front of a landscape of water, which is stained pink on the horizon, and distant hills or islands. The bird has a pale yellow breast with the feathers outlined in grey, and black markings. The wing is also pale yellow, with brown patches and blue-grey feathers. The back is black, and the throat and belly white. The drawing is separated from the bottom annotation by a ruled line of black ink. The drawing framed by a pencil border and is annotated in ink and pencil.

 
hide notes

  • Port Jackson Panter]
  • The drawing is annotated in ink at bottom "Half the Natural size Native name Go-ning-nak".
  • The drawing is unsigned and undated.
  • The drawing is inscribed in ink at top right with the number "236.". This refers to the catalogue list compiled by John Latham c. 1801 which was acquired with the drawings, and is filed with them at the end of the Watling Drawings series.
  • The drawing is annotated in pencil at top "Var. of Little Bittern, if not new". This has been copied in ink at lower left "A variety of little Bittern if not new, see drawing above No 237.". ("No 237" is Watling Drawing number 309.)
  • This bird was more recently identified as the Little Bittern, Ixobrychus minutus in Hindwood K. A. (1970).
  • The drawing is annotated in pencil at top "Lambert Drawing III. 12". This refers to a related set of drawings from the collections of the 13th Earl of Derby, held in the Library at Knowsley Hall, Lancashire.
  • 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 12308
  • James Lee of Kensington : purchased ; 1902
  • Data sheet available.
  • Latham, John. Supplement II to the General Synopsis of Birds. London: Leigh, Sotheby, 1802.
  • Hindwood K. A. 'The "Watling" drawings with incidental notes on the "Lambert" and the "Latham" drawings', Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales for the years 1968-69 (1970).